Austrian president calls for solidarity on asylum seeker issue

Austrian President Heinz Fischer on Friday called for an objective debate and solidarity in the current asylum seeker crisis.

Speaking at a municipality meeting involving 2,000 mayors and community representatives here, Fischer said the handling of the crisis must be neither overplayed nor underplayed, and required a solution-oriented approach.

He said based on the current acceptance rate, Austria would take in 56,000 asylum seekers over the next three years, making up 0.7 percent of the Austrian population.

"If we want to help people who have to flee from Afghanistan, Syria, or Iraq, then we will make it happen," he said.

He said one must imagine looking back on the current crisis in the future, and asking "whether one is proud or should be ashamed."

Fischer said a sense of justice was important, as well as observing agreements, like fulfilling quota intakes of asylum seekers.

Source: XINHUA