The International Rescue Committee urges Austria to reconsider decision to cap number of asylum seekers

Lesvos, Greece, January 22, 2016 — The International Rescue Committee urged Austria to reconsider its decision to cap the number of asylum seekers it would allow across its borders. This came in response to yesterday’s announcement from the Austrian government that starting in 2016, only 37,500 asylum seekers would be allowed entry. Historically Austria has received up to 90,000 asylum seekers per year.

2016 is already shaping up to be a record year for refugee arrivals into Europe. As of this week, 20,000 refugees have arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos. This compared to a total number of 1,600 in January 2015 indicates that desperate people are still determined to come to Europe in large numbers in search of safety and a better life for their families.

Introducing caps in Austria could lead to a domino effect of border closures or restrictions. The consequence would be thousands of refugees stranded at borders with nowhere to go. Such a scenario would only worsen the existing humanitarian crisis. Now is the time for the policies to be introduced that manage the refugee crisis, not exacerbate it.

In 2015 over one million people crossed the Mediterranean and Aegean seas in search of sanctuary. The majority of these people were Syrian refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict which will mark five years in March.

Since the beginning of this crisis, the IRC has called for more legal routes to Europe for some of the world's most vulnerable. The IRC has also called for a substantial increase in support to Syria’s neighboring countries so that refugees who have been living in limbo for almost five years can integrate into communities, send their children to school and participate in the work place.

The ultimate remedy would be an end to the crisis itself. Over 200,000 people have been killed to date and 7.6 million people are displaced within its borders. An additional 4.6 million people have sought refuge in Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon.

The IRC is on the front lines of the Syrian response with programs in Syria, in neighboring countries, and on both the Greek island of Lesvos and, through partners at key arrival and exit points for refugees in Serbia.

Kirk Day, The IRC’s Europe regional representative said: “Introducing caps is not the right approach. Not only does restricting asylum seekers contravene international law and the Geneva Refugee Convention, it is a short-sighted policy and will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Europe.

"Individual countries making arbitrary decisions about how many or who they welcome does not constitute a European policy.

"The European Union must prioritize a cohesive strategy to address this crisis.”