Austria

JRS active since: 2015

Austria has a long history of providing shelter to refugees and other forcibly displaced populations. After the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, 200,000 refugees came to Austria from Hungary. More than 90,000 people also arrived from Bosnia during the Balkan wars in the 1990s. More recently, almost 30,000 refugees were granted asylum in the country in 2017, with a majority coming from Syria and Afghanistan. Austria also has a very young refugee population as 85 per cent of asylum seekers are under the age of 35.

Our Work in Austria

JRS Austria works to advocate for the rights of refugees in the changing political climate of Europe, and offers tutoring, language courses, and theatre groups to help asylum seekers better integrate into Austrian society. JRS has also established the “locugee” project where local students and refugees live together with a Jesuit. The projects aims to foster social and cultural exchange and inter religious dialogue.

See Our Work

Two refugees receive language tutoring. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

Refugees and locals play football together. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

Refugees and Austrians play volleyball. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

A young man gestures for peace from a shipping container home. Many refugees are accommodated in these temporary housing structures in Europe. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

A young boy plays ping pong in a recreation centre. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

Refugees and locals sit with Danielle Vela, JRS director of reconciliation and social cohesion, to discuss the reconciliation needs in the community. JRS Austria fosters understanding between Muslim refugees and local Christians. (Jesuit Refugee Service)