“Austria has taken significant steps to combat violence against women but, as the high number of femicides and the emergence of new digital dimensions of violence show, increased and better co-ordinated efforts are required,” said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović today following a visit to Austria from 13 to 17 December.

“The authorities should not only ensure that sufficient resources are allocated transparently and sustainably to preventing violence against women and protecting victims. They also need to adopt an ambitious and comprehensive approach to the legal, financial, operational and human challenges involved, in close co-operation with all relevant stakeholders, including national human rights bodies and NGOs,” she added. “I have noted with interest the recent adoption of the online hate speech package (Hass im Netz), which provides new tools to address this scourge, and I will pay close attention to its implementation in practice.”

Women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights must be safeguarded to ensure full gender equality, and all existing financial and practical barriers preventing access to these health services should be removed. “I was able to see that for many women living in Austria, in particular young and/or destitute women, the effective enjoyment of these rights is undermined by lack of access to affordable contraception and abortion services, a situation which has been compounded by the pandemic,” said the Commissioner on the occasion of a visit to a counselling centre run by the Austrian Society for Family Planning. She recommended that the Austrian authorities ensure that contraceptive goods and services are covered by public health insurance or subsidy schemes and that the accessibility and availability of legal abortion services are guaranteed in practice throughout the country.

She also noted that the Austrian gender pay gap, of 19.9 percent in 2019 according to Eurostat, is among the widest in the European Union, contributing to significant pension inequalities and female poverty. The Commissioner therefore urged the authorities to ensure that the penalties provided for by law are actually imposed on employers who discriminate on the ground of gender, and to guarantee access to equal opportunities for women and men.

As regards the reception and integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, the Commissioner visited the Initial Reception Centre in Traiskirchen (Lower Austria), where she met many residents, including families, women and unaccompanied boys and girls, as well as staff members of the Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services. “I welcome the work done by the agency to accommodate all those arriving in good sanitary conditions, but the centre is reaching its limits, due to the fact that many of those eligible for transfer to other reception facilities under the responsibility of the provinces remain in Traiskirchen,” said the Commissioner. Designed for short stays, the centre does not provide sufficient or adequate educational or recreational activities, which has a particular impact on unaccompanied children. Those under 14 are currently being taken care of by ‘remunerated’ asylum-seeking mothers also living in the centre, who sometimes do not even speak the same language. “I urge the authorities to appoint fully-fledged guardians for these young children from the very beginning of the asylum procedure, and to pursue their discussions with the provinces in order to ensure that they play their part and transfer the asylum seekers who have completed the admissibility procedure, as provided for by law”, said the Commissioner. Underlining the crucial importance played by legal assistance in the asylum procedure, the Commissioner further invited the Austrian authorities to safeguard, both in practice and in law, the quality of the assistance provided by the Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services, and the independence of the agency.

During her visit, the Commissioner met the Federal President, Alexander Van der Bellen, the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, the Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution at the Federal Chancellery, Karoline Edtstadler, the Federal Minister of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, Wolfgang Mückstein, the Federal Minister for Women and Integration at the Federal Chancellery, Susanne Raab, the Federal Minister of Justice, Alma Zadić, and senior officials of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. She also met Petra Bayr, member of the Austrian parliament, the Ombud for Equal Treatment, the Austrian Ombudsman Board, the Mayor of Traiskirchen, Andreas Babler, as well as representatives of civil society, and international organisations. The Commissioner also participated, together with Karin Lukas, President of the European Committee of Social Rights, in the online launch event of the European Yearbook on Human Rights, organised by the universities of Graz, Vienna and Salzburg and the Global Campus on Human Rights.

The Commissioner’s report on her visit is due to be published shortly.

La presentación de los resultados, en forma de documental, del estudio sobre los restos óseos del Justicia Lanuza, así como la presencia del Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo marcaron la celebración del 20 de Diciembre en el que se realizaron diferentes actos culturales e institucionales

On the basis of the United Nations Resolution, 18 December has been declared International Migrants Day. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the experiences of migrants, their rights and the challenges they face, and about their contribution to society.

The Slovenian Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina has warned that “Europe has faced an unacceptable deterioration in respect for the human rights of refugees and other migrants for many years. Instead of focusing on achieving a uniform and legal system, member states too often utilise their own measures, including the unfortunate compulsory return and other disputable practices.”

The Ombudsman has also found several violations of migrant rights in matters referring to the execution of procedures on Slovenian borders, which was documented in the report on the situation of the human rights of migrants on borders, issued this year. He has emphasised several systemic problems, especially the measure of rapidly returning aliens to Croatia and other neighbouring countries without issuing an explanatory decision against which they could appeal. The Ombudsman has also warned in the report that border regimes that are currently implemented by national authorities (Slovenia, Croatia and other countries in the region) are forcing migrants to travel in more dangerous ways. “Such border crossing also leads to fatal accidents, which we have unfortunately witnessed in the past,” emphasised Svetina.
According to the Ombudsman, International Migrants Day is an opportunity to contemplate the future and consider possible solutions. “We need to strengthen the work of human rights advocates and other surveillance mechanisms and, without compromise, strive to terminate all measures and practices imposed by national authorities in which the human rights of migrants are violated,” Svetina said.

According to the Ombudsman, the governments of the EU member states, including that of Slovenia, should approach the preparation of the new joint system for migration management more decisively. “As a society, we need to believe that we can realise a just, legal and organised system that will enable the reliable protection of refugees and respect for the human rights of all migrants, which will also be beneficial to our society,” Svetina emphasised. He has also pointed out that we cannot approve the normalisation of irregular migrant travels, i.e. without documents, illegally, and bypassing all rules. As reports and personal stories of many people have revealed, they have been exposed to danger and the violation of their dignity and other fundamental human rights. The occurrence of irregular migrations could be reduced with a more appropriate migration and asylum policy. “We need to approach resolving the issue by ensuring the effective protection of refugees, including the introduction of legal routes and their actual protection in third countries,” Svetina explained. 

“International Migrants Day is an opportunity to strengthen awareness about the necessity of establishing appropriate solutions, including the strengthening of hope that we will manage to take steps in the right direction,” the Human Rights Ombudsman, Peter Svetina, emphasised.

Si informano i cittadini e gli Enti che i tempi procedimentali per le istanze di Difesa civica saranno sospesi dal 24 dicembre 2021 al 7 gennaio 2022 compresi, ad eccezione delle istanze concernenti l’accesso agli atti.

Sarà comunque possibile inviare istanze al Difensore civico:

attraverso il form online AlDefendo;

per posta all’indirizzo: Viale Aldo Moro, 50 – 40127 Bologna

per email: difensorecivico@regione.emilia-romagna.it

per posta elettronica certificata: difensorecivico@postacert.regione.emilia-romagna.it
 

Le istanze presentate in questo periodo saranno quindi prese in carico a partire dal 10 gennaio 2022.

Si ricorda che prima di presentare il reclamo al Difensore civico, è necessario rivolgersi all’Amministrazione competente o al gestore del servizio che tratta la questione. L’intervento del Difensore è infatti possibile solo nei casi in cui siano già stati fatti dei tentativi per rimuovere il problema e non ci sia stata risposta o la risposta non sia soddisfacente. E' necessario inoltre allegare all'istanza copia del documento di riconoscimento, il reclamo scritto o la descrizione di qualunque altra iniziativa intrapresa e qualsiasi altra documentazione si ritenga opportuna.

Der Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragte informiert über einige ausgewählte gesetzliche Änderungen im Sozialrecht im Jahr 2022.

Erhöhung der Regelsätze in der Grundsicherung für Arbeitssuchende (SGB II) und in der Sozialhilfe (SGB XII)

Aufgrund der Fortschreibung der Regelbedarfsstufen werden sich die Regelsätze von Leistungen des Jobcenters zum 1. Januar 2022 erhöhen. Alleinstehende und alleinerziehende Personen erhalten dann 449 € im Monat statt 446 €, volljährige Ehegatten und Lebenspartner statt 401 € künftig 404 €. Auch die Regelsätze für Jugendliche und Kinder sowie Menschen mit Behinderungen werden angepasst. Daneben erhöhen sich auch die sog. Mehrbedarfe. Diese sind zusätzliche Aufwendungen, die nicht durch die Regelleistung abgedeckt sind. Erhalten können diese z.B. werdende Mütter, Alleinerziehende und Menschen mit Behinderungen.

In der Sozialhilfe gelten ab Januar 2022 ebenfalls die erhöhten Regelsätze, die den Beträgen bei der Grundsicherung für Arbeitssuchende entsprechen.

Daneben wirkt sich die Fortschreibung der Regelbedarfsstufen auch auf die nach § 2 des Asylbewerberleistungsgesetzes (AsylbLG) entsprechend dem SGB XII zu gewährenden Leistungen und auf die Bedarfssätze für Grundleistungen nach § 3a AsylbLG (Geldleistungssätze) aus.

Die wegen der Corona-Pandemie beschlossenen Sonderregelungen im SGB II werden bis zum 31. März 2022 verlängert. Die Regelungen beinhalten Erleichterungen bei der Vermögensprüfung und-anrechnung, die befristete Anerkennung der tatsächlichen Kosten für Unterkunft und Heizung sowie Vereinfachungen bei der Bewilligung vorläufiger Leistungen.

Zuschüsse zu den Pflegekosten im Heim

Die Pflegekassen beteiligen sich bereits mit pauschalen Leistungsbeträgen je nach Pflegegrad an den Pflege- und Ausbildungskosten. In aller Regel reichen diese Beträge aber nicht aus, um die entstehenden Kosten zu decken, sodass hier ein Eigenanteil der Pflegebedürftigen an den Pflege- und Ausbildungskosten zu zahlen ist. Um die finanzielle Belastung der pflegebedürftigen Menschen abzumildern, erhalten die, die in vollstationären Einrichtungen leben, ab 1. Januar 2022 einen Leistungszuschlag auf die Pflege- und Ausbildungskosten.

Der Leistungszuschlag beträgt für diese Pflegebedürftige mit Pflegegrad 2 – 5

• 5% des Eigenanteils an den Pflegekosten innerhalb des ersten Jahres
• 25% des Eigenanteils an den Pflegekosten wenn sie mehr als 12 Monate,
• 45% des Eigenanteils an den Pflegekosten wenn sie mehr als 24 Monate und
• 70% des Eigenanteils an den Pflegekosten wenn sie mehr als 36 Monate in einem Pflegeheim leben.

Die Kosten für Unterkunft, Verpflegung und Investitionen müssen jedoch weiterhin allein vom Pflegebedürftigen getragen werden und werden nicht bezuschusst.

Um auch im häuslichen Bereich den steigenden Vergütungen des Pflegepersonals Rechnung zu tragen, wird daneben auch der Leistungsbetrag der Pflegeversicherung für die Dienstleistungen eines ambulanten Pflegedienstes um 5 % und die Zahlungen für die Kurzzeitpflege um 10 % erhöht.

Zur Finanzierung der Pflegeversicherung wird ab Januar 2022 en Bundeszuschuss in Höhe von 1 Mrd. € pro Jahr eingeführt. Des Weiteren steigt aber auch der Beitragszuschlag für Kinderlose um 0,1 Prozentpunkte.

Sollten Sie hierzu Fragen haben, können Sie sich an Ihre Pflegekasse wenden. Bei Problemen mit Entscheidungen der Pflegekasse hilft Ihnen auch der Bürgerbeauftragte gern weiter.