2024-02-22 09:00:02
End of war not foreseeable; Access to social assistance and long-term residence prospects would boost inclusion and job opportunities for refugees from Ukraine
Vienna (OTS) – February 24th marks the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Around 6.5 million refugees – most of them women and children – have found refuge primarily in European countries, and around 3.7 million people are displaced within Ukraine.
There are currently around 83,000 refugees from Ukraine living in Austria, including 25,000 children, as part of EU-wide temporary protection, and the commitment of all actors in emergency aid was unprecedented. In view of the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) believe that it is now essential to find long-term solutions for refugees from Ukraine in Austria in order to increase their chances of inclusion increase.
After access to the labor market for refugees from Ukraine was made easier once more last year, from the point of view of the three UN organizations, access to social assistance would now be another important inclusion aid. Currently, refugees from Ukraine are still in the so-called basic care system, which was designed for short stays mainly for asylum seekers. The basic services (e.g. a maximum of around 440 euros per month for a single adult person for all costs such as rent, food, hygiene, clothing, etc.) are therefore virtually insufficient for survival without the help of civil society UNHCR survey clearly showed.
“There is an urgent need for a system change to get Ukrainians out of the poverty trap and to eliminate the disadvantages they face when getting a job and thus enable them to live on their own two feet. “This would have advantages not only for the people affected, but also for the host society,” said Christoph Pinter, head of UNHCR in Austria.
A complicated calculation system and very few opportunities to earn extra money in basic services also make it almost impossible to take on low-paying or part-time jobs. In addition, social assistance offers interfaces to the labor market service that are missing from basic care. Access to social assistance would be important, especially in view of the large group of women who have fled alone with children and their care responsibilities.
“Children who were expelled from Ukraine and endured much suffering need security and opportunities. If, instead of experiencing this security, they are affected by poverty, it has far-reaching consequences. Future opportunities are taken away and physical and mental health also suffer in the long term. Children have a right to care and social participation, the best possible health and education. EVERY child has these rights. We all benefit from a fair society,” said Christoph Jünger, head of UNICEF Austria.
Due to the unforeseeable end of the war, IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF also appeal to create long-term security for both the Ukrainians affected and the Austrian employers as soon as possible.
“The majority of those displaced are women and children as well as older adults. A precarious financial situation and dependencies increase the risk of exploitation and abuse,” explains Marian Benbow Pfisterer, head of IOM Austria. “Therefore, above all, their financial situation must be improved – through improved social security, the targeted promotion of labor market integration and the creation a longer-term residence perspective.”
Targeted age- and gender-sensitive measures are required that take into account various dimensions of inclusion. Work-oriented approaches, for example, must be reconciled with the needs in other areas. For example, a single mother without a social support network is unlikely to take advantage of the economic opportunities available to her if her non-economic needs are ignored.
In particular, refugees who cannot work or can only work to a limited extent, such as older people, mothers with small children or people with disabilities, should be taken into account and protected in future new regulations.
Finally, the three UN organizations emphasize that in many cases the potential and qualifications of Ukrainians might be better used in Austria. Many Ukrainians who have fled to Austria already have high educational qualifications. In order to increase your job chances, the IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF in Austria recommend that the recognition of these qualifications be increasingly promoted.
Questions & Contact:
Mag.a Andrea Götzelmann-Rosado, MLS, Tel.: +43 1 585 33 22 22, Mail: agoetzelmann@iom.int
Mag.a Ruth Schöffl, Tel.: +43 1 26060 5307, Email: schoeffl@unhcr.org
Michael Blauensteiner, Tel.: +43 660 38 48 821, Email: presse@unicef.at
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