Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wants to carry out DNA tests in the case of relatives of people who benefit from refugee status in Austria in order to reduce the influx of immigrants into the country.
Nehammer, a conservative politician, announced on Sunday an intensification of the use of genetic tests to prove family relationships, reports DPA on Sunday, quoted by Agerpres.
Checks by document experts and security officials will also be tightened as part of the family reunification process, he told Austrian news agency APA.
“We will restrict family reunification through strict controls,” the Austrian chancellor said, without specifying how many frauds have been discovered so far in such procedures.
The reunification of family members of refugees with already recognized status has been prevented by the coronavirus pandemic, and Vienna is currently facing a huge increase in requests in this regard.
The Austrian Ministry of the Interior registered around 6,900 asylum applications in the first quarter of this year. Of these, 45% were made by people who received an entry permit under a family reunification program. A year ago, the proportion was 16%, according to DPA.
Publisher: GM
Tags: Nehammer announces DNA tests strict controls measures Austria migrants
