Austria drafts law to address refugee issue

Austria is drafting a law that would effectively push the local communities to host refugees, Chancellor Werner Faymann said Friday.

In the first half of the year, thousands of refugees fled into Austria, which led to a surge in asylum requests, he said.

Calling the refugee issue "Europe's biggest challenge," Faymann said his country has worked hard to create more space for refugees. However, "it was not enough," he added.

He said the draft law would provide accommodation for 80,000 to 160,000 immigrants.

Austria, a small country of around 8.5 million people, received more than 28,000 asylum requests in 2014, three times the European average relative to population size. Endi