DailyKenn.com — A recent survey conducted by the Unique Research Institute for Heute newspaper revealed that 56 percent of respondents, including a majority of supporters of the current largest party in government, favor a zero asylum limit. This means rejecting all asylum applications for the foreseeable future.
The poll showed that 56 percent of all respondents agreed with this proposal, while 37 percent disagreed. Among those polled, 36 percent strongly agreed, and 20 percent somewhat agreed. Conversely, 19 percent tended to disagree, and 18 percent strongly disagreed.
The debate over Austria's capacity to handle increasing asylum applications has intensified in recent weeks, particularly after remarks by Tyrolean Social Democrats (SPÖ) leader Georg Dornauer, who suggested in a national newspaper that Austria should consider setting the asylum limit at zero for the coming years. Dornauer received criticism from his party leader Andreas Babler, who described the comment as politically foolish and unthinkable, leading Dornauer to retract it.
However, the polling by the Unique Research Institute poses a challenge for the Social Democrats (SPÖ), as it shows that 45 percent of their own voters support the zero asylum proposal, indicating that they don't view it as foolish.
Support for the zero asylum limit is strong among voters of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), with 87 percent in favor. Similarly, a majority of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) supporters (58 percent) also back the proposal. However, most voters of the Greens and the liberal NEOS oppose it.
According to pollster Peter Hajek, attitudes toward the zero asylum limit align with traditional party divisions, with FPÖ and ÖVP voters supporting the proposal while NEOS and Green voters reject it. The SPÖ's stance is divided, presenting a challenge for Babler and his party in the upcoming election campaign.
Recent incidents involving criminal behavior by some asylum seekers who have been granted refugee status in Austria have heightened concerns. Last week in Vienna, an Afghan migrant killed three prostitutes in a Thai massage parlor, claiming to have acted in accordance with teachings from the Quran. In another disturbing incident, 17 young people, many with migrant backgrounds, were arrested for allegedly subjecting a 12-year-old girl to long-term sexual abuse.
The authorities apprehended the suspected male rape gang following a complaint from the victim, who alleged coercion by her boyfriend to engage in sexual acts with his friends. She recounted being passed around "like a trophy" for over a year. The gang, comprised of individuals from Syria, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Serbia, purportedly recorded the assaults and threatened to disseminate the footage on social media if the victim reported them.
Despite their arrest, the perpetrators were released after just one day in custody as the police investigation continued. The victim's family expressed their concerns for the girl's safety to a national German newspaper.
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