Student Unions against Illegalization of Refugee Students from Third Countries

To the Minister, Gerhard Karner,
to the university rectorates,
to the Austrian Federal Government,

In view of the massive increase in the number of refugees in the wake of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine and the already announced "triage in the asylum sector", we, the undersigned student unions, are concerned to speak out.

We are contacted with increasing frequency by students who flee from the war in Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian Federation to the European Union. The Austrian government - in contrast to the German and Slovakian governments - has decided to grant only Ukrainian citizens a temporary right of residence.

It is unacceptable that people affected by the war are forced to apply for residence abroad on the basis of their nationality and thus out of political small-mindedness.

We therefore call upon the rectorates to make use of the autonomy of the universities and to admit students affected by the war as regular students in an unbureaucratic manner.

We also call on the Minister of the Interior to make use of the possibility to apply for admission to Austria, which is anchored in §21 para. 3 NAG, in an equally unbureaucratic manner.

Furthermore, we call on the entire Austrian government to put an end to the racist devaluation of refugees and to guarantee a dignified life for all!

hmdw - Student Union at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Student Union at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Student Union at the Anton Bruckner Private University
Student Union at the University of Art Linz
Student body at the Med Uni Vienna
Student Body at the Music and Art Private University of the City of Vienna
Student Union at the Graz University of Technology
Student Union at the Vienna University of Technology
Student Union of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences
hufak - Student Union at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
Presidency of the Student Union at the University of Arts Graz
Presidency team of the Austrian Student Union
Presidency of the ÖH University of Salzburg

The Senate of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna fully supports the statement of Austrian Student Unions against illegalization of refugee students from third countries.
https://www.oehakbild.info/2022/03/hochschuler_innenschaften-gegen-illegalisierung-von-gefluchteten-studierenden-aus-drittstaaten/