As stated in ECRI's annual expert report published in Austria, "a deterioration of the situation in Austria regarding foreigners living on its territory is noted, especially in terms of granting political and other asylum, as well as police violence against Africans and xenophobic statements by a number of the country's media and political figures."
"ECRI's recommendations are partially or completely not implemented in Austria, and the country places itself in the ambiguous position of an EU outsider with regard to foreigners," ECRI experts believe. "The status of many immigrants to Austria is very precarious and often associated with discrimination against foreigners when obtaining work permits in Austria, which is expressed in bureaucratic restrictions on issuing said permits," the document notes.
"According to the Austrian law on employment of foreigners, in the event of staff reductions, foreigners are the first to be dismissed, despite the fact that they legally obtained work permits in Austria," the report says. In this regard, RIA Novosti reports, ECRI calls on the Austrian authorities to reconsider their attitude to the situation with foreigners in the country, so as not to involve the European Commission in Brussels in the proceedings.
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