On April 20 and 21, 2026 the two-day seminar “Migrant women and male violence” took place at the Europahaus Vienna. The focus was on the particular challenges faced by migrant women affected by violence and the specific counseling situation in women’s and migrant women’s counseling centers.

Angela Ivezic was involved as a seminar leader and organized several workshops on legal input and innovations relating to residence and employment – with a particular focus on the situation of victims of family violence.

The seminar offered space for professional exchange, reflection and practical consolidation. It is particularly important in day-to-day counseling work to look at complex legal issues, experiences of violence, addictions and migration-specific challenges together.

For the Counseling Center for Migrants, participation in such specialist events is an important contribution to quality assurance and the further development of counseling practice.

migrant was represented at yesterday’s Anti-Racism Day at Vienna City Hall. The event provided a space for exchange, networking and a joint signal against racism and for respectful coexistence in Vienna.

The focus was also on the Vienna Action Plan against Racism. The City of Vienna is pursuing the goal of ensuring that all people have equal opportunities and can live free from racism in Vienna. The focus is on concrete measures in those areas that fall within the sphere of action and responsibility of the City of Vienna. The action plan is aimed in particular at politicians, the administration and other relevant city institutions.

The information material on the action plan available at the event made it clear that anti-racism is not just a social attitude, but also requires concrete structures, responsibility and cooperation. For migrant, participation was therefore an important opportunity to visibly support these issues and further strengthen professional exchange.

The Counseling Center was once again able to be part of an international professional exchange. This time, female university professors and students from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania were guests in Vienna for a week. In various programs, the visitors dealt with European history, women’s issues and migration. Bryn Mawr is a traditional women’s university that was founded in the 19th century to provide women with academic access that was often denied to them at the time.

The meeting at migrant focused on migration in Austria, our experiences from counseling work and, in particular, the question of which issues are particularly evident at the interface between women and migration. The exchange offered space to present our work, provide insights into everyday counseling and discuss challenges, developments and necessary support structures.

Such encounters are particularly valuable for us. They show that migrant is also recognized beyond Austria as a discussion and practice partner and that our experiences are of interest in international contexts. At the same time, they highlight the importance of networking, knowledge transfer and mutual learning in the field of migration.

Around March 8, 2026, International Women’s Day, migrant was represented at the Vienna Women’s Week 2026 and was able to experience many beautiful, empowering moments. The Open City Hall in particular provided a visible and lively setting to focus on women, their issues and their commitment.

In addition, workshops were also organized last week by women from our community, creating space for exchange, encounters and mutual support. Such formats are particularly valuable because they not only provide information, but also strengthen community and make women visible in their diversity.

For migrant, these days are an important sign: for cohesion, participation and the strengthening of women’s rights in everyday life. We are delighted that we were able to be part of this week and would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment, their presence and the many inspiring ideas.

The Vienna Women’s Week 2026 is a city-wide series of events around International Women’s Day in March and stands for equality, visibility and empowerment of women* in Vienna. Numerous organizations, initiatives and advisory services are participating with a diverse programme of workshops, lectures, information and exchange formats. The aim is to empower women in different life situations, facilitate access to information and create spaces for networking.

The Women’s Advice Center for Migrants is also part of Women’s Week 2026 and is contributing its many years of expertise in working with women with migration experience. It provides targeted impetus with three thematic focuses:

As part of “Neustart mit Perspektive für Frauen”, the team provides information on labour market integration, training and further education opportunities, recognition of qualifications and the legal and social framework. Women receive guidance and specific information to help them develop new professional and personal prospects.

The event “Migration and trauma” is dedicated to the effects of experiences of flight, violence and migration on mental well-being. The focus here is on psychosocial stabilization, promoting resilience and information on further support services. The aim is to create understanding, make resources visible and encourage women to seek support.

Under the title “Paths to a self-determined future”, strategies and resources for strengthening self-determination, personal responsibility and social participation will be presented. The focus is on empowerment, decision-making skills and building sustainable prospects for the future.

With its contribution to the Vienna Women’s Week, the Women’s Counseling Service creates low-threshold access to information and advice, promotes networking and exchange and sends a clear signal for the empowerment of women with migration experience in Vienna.

Statement on the AMPAG draft

The Advice Center for Migrants has submitted a statement on the draft of the Asylum and Migration Pact Adaptation Act (AMPAG).

In our view, the draft contains numerous provisions that could lead to a deterioration in the legal residence situation of third-country nationals. We are particularly critical of the shift of central legal guarantees to the area of official discretionary decisions, insufficient protection mechanisms for particularly vulnerable groups of people and unclear legal terms that could lead to restrictive interpretations during enforcement.

There are particular concerns with regard to:

• the withdrawal of residence permits in the event of unemployment,
• Restrictions on family reunification,
• lack of clarification regarding data processing,
• and barriers to permanent residence – EU.

In our view, the draft does not take sufficient account of Austria’s human rights obligations and integration policy objectives.

We therefore demand, among other things, a stronger decoupling of the right of residence from short-term labor market authority decisions, clearer legal guidelines, the removal of obstacles to permanent residence and a human rights impact assessment before the amendment comes into force.

The complete statement with all legal explanations and detailed justifications can be found in the attached PDF document.

The Vienna Action Plan against Racism 2025 is a comprehensive program of the City of Vienna to prevent and combat racism in all its forms. It was adopted by the Vienna City Council in October 2025 and is aimed at both the city administration and the entire Viennese population in order to strengthen social cohesion and actively counteract discrimination.

Vienna sees itself as a city of diversity, in which people of different origins live and participate equally. The action plan starts where racist discrimination can occur: from data collection and monitoring to information and support for those affected to equal opportunities in the labor market, housing and education. It sets out clear areas for action and shows how Viennese politicians and administrators intend to tackle these challenges in the future.

The central objectives include

• Establishment of a monitoring and solidarity network to prevent and combat racism.

• Promotion of information and support services for people who experience discrimination.

• Strengthening equal opportunities in the labor market and in the city’s role as an employer.

• Ensuring non-discriminatory services and promoting a culturally diverse urban society.

• Promoting equal educational opportunities and intercultural understanding through education and upbringing.

• Expansion of conflict management services for respectful coexistence in public spaces.

The plan was developed in a broad-based process together with municipal authorities and civil society organizations and is based on the current status of measures and recommendations for future activities.