Caritas Austria

Overview

Caritas Austria realizes non-profitable, charitable projects in Austria as well as in other countries. The aim of Caritas Austria is to help people in need and to offer social services. Caritas Austria is a partner and advocate for the poor and marginalised and addresses the basic needs of vulnerable people. The key goals of Caritas Austria are to assist and to enable beneficiaries to provide sustainable perspectives. Caritas expects the beneficiaries to assume an active role in building better living conditions for themselves and encourages them to take on co-responsibility and initiative.

​

Support in the field of migration

Supporting migrants at all stages of their stay in Austria is an integral part of our work. Caritas Austria advocates for their rights on all levels and at all stages of their stay. Caritas Austria also assists migrants before and during the decision to return to their country of origin. In certain cases, Caritas Austria can also support returnees after their return.
 

Does the ERSO member offer pre-departure counseling?

Caritas Austria is currently not providing pre-departure counseling to returnees. It was offered in the former voluntary return project IRMA.

​

What kind of reintegration assistance does the ERSO member offer to returnees? 

Caritas Austria is currently not providing direct reintegration assistance.​ As a member of the ERSO network, the former project IRMA plus II operated in a great number of countries. It offered reintegration support for vulnerable returnees in the following countries of return: Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russian Federation including Chechnya and Tajikistan. Furthermore, IRMA plus II offered reintegration support for vulnerable and non-vulnerable returnees in Armenia, Gambia and India.

​

Target group of the ERSO member (in the context of return and reintegration)

The target group were people in need, who were staying in Austria and were wishing to return voluntarily to their country of origin. The target group were third country nationals such as: 

• asylum seekers,

• residence permit applicants who have not yet received a decision about their application, 

• legal residents,    

• persons without a legal residence status.

​

Funding

Caritas Austria receives funds from private donations, governmental subsidies, different EC funds and other international donors and cost refunds in the field of social work. The voluntary return project IRMA and the reintegration projects IRMA plus and IRMA plus II were funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.