Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has rejected a proposal from Tyrol Governor Anton Mattle to grant asylum seekers immediate access to the labor market. Both ÖVP members disagree on whether individuals should work from their first day in Austria.
Currently, asylum seekers must wait three months before seeking dependent employment, which requires an employer request and AMS verification. While five states mandate non-profit work like park maintenance, Tyrol has not yet implemented such a requirement.
Karner argues that unrestricted labor market access would create a pull factor for illegal migration. To date, asylum seekers have performed over 730,000 non-profit hours in federal facilities, providing essential services to municipalities and states.
