Advertisement

Refugees facing bleak winter in Vienna

The Local Austria
The Local Austria - [email protected]
Refugees facing bleak winter in Vienna
Photo: Paul Gillingwater

More than 800 refugees, many of them women and children, are facing difficult conditions in Austria's 2nd-largest refugee camp, at Ferry Dusika Stadion.

Advertisement

The camp, which occupies a velodrome and a sports hall at Vienna's stadium complex, is coordinated by the Samariterbund charity, but staffed almost entirely by volunteers.

Every refugee receives basic shelter, three meals a day, urgent medical attention and translation support, while they await decisions on their refugee status from the Austrian government.

Originally intended to house a few dozen refugees for a couple of days, the stadium complex has been home to many refugees for several months, and as more refugees arrive, the numbers are likely to increase.

The Local Austria visited, and met with one of the volunteers, Sebastien Frese, who is concerned about the changing weather, with temperatures in Vienna expected to drop to four degrees this weekend.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also