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Austria to establish eight new asylum quarters

Xinhua, December 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Austrian Minister of the Interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner will use federal government powers to create eight new quarters for asylum seekers across six Austrian states, her ministry stated on Tuesday.

The government had initially planned to create six new quarters, though the Austria Press Agency stated in a report the government had later decided to increase this to eight.

All eight new quarters will be situated at army barracks, in the states of Styria, Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower and Upper Austria, as well as Tyrol, with room intended for up to 450 asylum seekers in each, though the Interior Ministry acknowledged this may not be possible in all cases.

The asylum seekers will be housed in large containers in all but one of the quarters in Carinthia where tents will be erected instead.

In an interview with the Oe1 Mittagsjournal radio program from state broadcaster ORF also on Tuesday, Mikl-Leitner said the government powers to establish quarters in states and municipalities that are not meeting set quotas would continue to be used where needed should these quotas continue not to be met.

The minister also said she is expecting up to 120,000 refugees for 2016, to come on top of earlier ministry estimates of 90,000 to 95,000 applications expected for the current year. Endit