Austria

In 2024, a total of 15,158 people in Austria applied for the Medical Acceptance Test, known for short at “MedAT”. On average, though, just one-in-eight is offered a degree place. Those who are able to come through against such tough competition can expect to be confronted by the so-called “Clinical Practical Year” (KPJ) in the […]

In the future, newcomers to Austria will have to participate in “etiquette courses” and work for €1.50 per hour—otherwise, their monthly allowance will be reduced from €40 to €20. Will these new requirements help improve integration? REFUGEES MUST ATTEND COURSES AND WORK Minister of the interior Gerhard Karner and minister for integration Susanne Raab (both

In Austria, around 200 children per year are affected by forced marriages according to the government, though the actual number is likely much higher. Additionally, theoretically, married girls younger than 16 could be living here. Exact numbers are not known, as no data on this topic is collected. However, calls for reforming the marriage law

It often happens faster than you realise and you find yourself trapped in a situation. In the area of human trafficking, this is unfortunately not only true in a figurative sense. There are dedicated hotlines and advice centres for immediate help, but more attention needs to be paid to prevention in particular.  THE BK –

The Task Force against Human Trafficking has been mentioned several times in our blog posts. This year, the new working paper was also published. These publications are valid for three years and aim to create transparency and recommend measures which can also be monitored.  A BRIEF INTRODUCTION  In 2011, the EU adopted Directive 2011/36/EU on

In the last working period (2021-2023) of the Human Trafficking Task Force, a paper on the regulation of prostitution in Austria was published, among other things. This at once highlights the difficulties arising from the lack of uniform legislation within Austria: “However, a harmonisation of the legal situation and enforcement practice through a strengthening of

When most people hear the phrase “woman trafficking”, they probably think first and foremost of far-away countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. But how does the situation look in Europe? In 2022 alone, 56 cases of human trafficking and cross-border trafficking for the purposes of prostitution were recorded in Austria, although the true

Isabella had big dreams in her luggage when she started out on her journey to Austria. Like many au pairs who come here, she had come from South America; her aim was to learn German during her employment, so she could go on to study in Austria. After a few weeks with her guest family,

NGOs such as Hope for the Future help people in emergency situations and receive no state subsidies. If things continue like this, the services could one day no longer be provided, as was announced at a press conference in early December.  PRESS CONFERENCE ON WORLD  HUMAN RIGHTS DAY  On December 6, a press conference was held