Foreigners Must Learn German Or Be Expelled From Austria

DeutschePresse - no url yet | 3/4/02

[NativeNewYorker]

Vienna (dpa) - Immigrants from outside the E.U. will have to pass German courses within four years or else be expelled from Austria, the government said on Monday.

Foreigners arriving in the country would also have to show a health certificate.

Presenting a new ``integration contract'', the government said the foreigners would have to pay 50 per cent of the cost of the language courses themselves.

The other half would be paid out of public funds or by the foreigner's employer. |

The German courses would be mandatory for non-E.U. citizens who had arrived in Austria after January 1, 1998, said top government officials including Interior Minister Ernst Strasser.

The courses would be 100 hours at least, and the cost nearly 400 euros (345 dollars) per person. Taught would be not only the German language, but also ``basic organizational processes, and knowledge of the country and state''.

If the immigrant completed the course in 18 months, the residence permit would be extended for two years, if not, for one year.

Those failing after 18 months would be sanctioned. They would have to pay 75 per cent of the further courses themselves, and after two years, 100 per cent.

There would be an additional ``administrative fine'' of 100 euros after two years, and 200 euros after three.

If the immigrants had not started their course after three years, or completed it after four, they would lose their residence permits altogether.

The other new introduction was the health certificate. The government said that when submitted on entry to the country, it must not be more than 90 days old.

The exact content was still to be decided on. It would be orientated on ``a European catalogue''.

Presenting its new ``integration'' program, the government did not comply with frequent opposition demands that all foreigners who are allowed to live in Austria should automatically be allowed to work as well.

The new regulations also expanded the use of temporary ``seasonal'' workers.

These workers would no longer be limited to the traditional areas of tourism and agriculture, but could also be employed elsewhere.

A seasonal worker would get a work permit for six months, which could be extended for another six months.

But after that, at least two months must lapse before a further permit could be applied for.

Strasser said the new regulations would go into force on January 1 next year.

[Consort]

That's it! No more Vienna sausages; no more yodeling lessons; no more watching The Sound of Music or The Third Man; no more humming Edelweiss...