Austria prepared to welcome more refugees if situation in Ukraine worsens – Austrian ambassador to Ukraine
Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine Arad Benkö has said that Austria is prepared to welcome more refugees if the situation in Ukraine worsens.
Source: Arad Benkö in a comment for Suspilne
Details: Benkö said that Ukrainians are highly motivated to integrate into Austrian society, are learning German and joining the labour market, which is why Austria sees no issue with welcoming more refugees.
Quote from Benkö: "Integrating and welcoming Ukrainian refugees is relatively not an issue, because Ukrainians are really keen to learn the language. They gladly integrate into the [labour] market. Of course, 80% of refugees are women with children, so that’s a bit more difficult. But I think if there’s a need, Austria is a hospitable country and I see no issues. If there is a new wave [of refugees], Austrians have a big heart and will welcome Ukrainians."
Background:
- On 25 June, the Council of the European Union extended temporary protection to more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression until 4 March 2026.
- On 4 September, Switzerland’s Federal Council decided to extend the special protection status S for Ukrainian refugees until March 2026 until March 2026 and to extend the relevant support measures for those covered by it.
- On 23 October, Germany's Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, suggested reviewing the legal status of Ukrainian refugees to reduce social welfare costs and encourage more Ukrainians receiving benefits to join the workforce.
- According to a survey by the Munich-based ifo Institute, almost a quarter of Ukrainian refugees in Europe do not want to return to Ukraine in the long term. Immediately after fleeing, almost 60% of refugees wanted to return to Ukraine as soon as they felt safe again. "Over time, this figure has fallen sharply by an average of 4.7 percentage points per 100 days," the survey’s authors reported.
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