Ani Gülgün-Mayr, 56, was born in Istanbul and has lived in Austria since she was two years old.
But the TV moderator, who presents the ORF programme Kultur Heute (Culture Today) and has appeared in shows about integration and learning German, was recently denied Austrian citizenship — again.
It is the second major setback in Gülgün-Mayr's naturalisation process after Vienna's MA 35 immigration and citizenship office previously questioned her German language skills.
When asked about the case, Vienna's Immigration and Citizenship authority MA 35 said that the Citizenship is a federal law and it, therefore, must adhere to the applicable case law in its decisions.
The authority told The Local: "The requirements of the Citizenship Act and the highest courts are strict, and as a result, people who have sometimes spent their entire lives in Austria must be denied Austrian citizenship due to relatively minor criminal offences or administrative offences."
The emailed statement added: "In the case of Ani Gülgün-Mayr, after careful consideration, we had no other choice but to reject the application. However, the proceedings are not yet concluded."
Why have the applications been rejected?
As reported by the weekly news magazine Falter, MA 35 sent the journalist, who has worked as a presenter and commissioning editor for ORF since 2005, a five-page letter stating that "it is not currently possible to grant you Austrian citizenship".
According to the report, the latest rejection is due to nine administrative offences over the years. These include parking outside a road marking, parking without a parking ticket or in a loading zone, as well as speeding by 11 and 16 km/h, respectively.
The report also cites parking in a disabled parking space and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. According to the report, the nine fines totalled €828, ranging from €48 to €160.
The Local has previously reported on Austria's strict citizenship rules. As well as passing a number of hurdles, such as having long-term residence, B1 German language skills and proving you can support yourself financially, administrative offences can also throw a spanner in the works.
READ ALSO: How traffic offences can cost you Austrian citizenship
As part of the immigration procedure, officials assess what is known as ‘good conduct’. This means an applicant must, on the basis of their past behaviour, provide assurance that they do not pose a threat to public peace, order and security.
In the case of Gülgün-Mayr, officers concluded that "no positive prognosis for the future can be made at present".
Yet questions have been raised about how relevant the traffic offences, deemed minor, are to the application, given that Gülgün-Mayr has spent almost her entire life in Austria.
Gülgün-Mayr has been interviewed on Austrian TV by Barbara Stöckl about the hurdles she has faced while trying to get Austrian citizenship.
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Gülgün-Mayr is said to have not been involved in at least one of the offences. According to Falter, her son was behind the wheel, and the corresponding administrative penalty proceedings were dropped on August 27th.
Regarding another contested incident, the journalist reportedly was not in Austria at the time – a fact that appears to be supported by flight bookings. "When a ticket arrived," she told Falter, "I simply paid it." It did not matter to her who had been driving, she said.
However, this is not the first twist in Gülgün-Mayr's naturalisation case. Falter reported in June that the MA 35 informed Gülgün-Mayr that she had failed to provide the necessary proof of sufficient German language proficiency for naturalisation.
READ ALSO: Majority of foreign residents in Austria want citizenship, survey finds
"I’m speechless," Gülgün-Mayr said at the time. When Falter launched an investigation, the MA 35 issued an apology. The authority said it had overlooked the relevant certificates and that her knowledge of German was therefore clearly proven.
Yet many wondered how this could happen to a well-known TV presenter who has worked in Austria for decades and who, during the Covid-19 pandemic, even presented an ORF programme aimed at helping people learn German.
The case has made headlines in Austria and highlights major talking points about integration and belonging.
Gülgün-Mayr has Armenian roots and came to Vienna from Istanbul as a toddler in 1972.
Her father – who was already in Vienna as a so-called guest worker (Gastarbeiter) – worked as a lathe operator, while her mother worked as a seamstress.
Gülgün-Mayr attended school in Vienna and later studied psychology. From 1993, she worked for Echo, a Vienna-based association dedicated to supporting young people from guest-worker families.
READ ALSO: INTERVIEW: 'If I cannot get Austrian citizenship after 54 years, then who can?'
In 2005, she moved to the ORF and worked on a show called Heimat, fremde Heimat (Home, Foreign Home), which covered topics such as racism, discrimination, integration and even citizenship laws.
Since ORF III launched in 2011, Gülgün-Mayr has worked as a cultural editor and presenter.
Gülgün-Mayr is working with a lawyer to challenge the naturalisation decision.
We spoke with Gülgün-Mayer about her experience, and you can read the interview here. Editor's note: This story has been updated on September 22nd to add the MA 36 response.
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