Thursday, January 31, 2013

Austria's Roman Catholic cardinal : activists are exploiting asylum seekers camped in church

Austria's top Roman Catholic clergyman is accusing political activists of exploiting the plight of asylum-seekers who have occupied a church for over a month to press demands for better treatment.
 
Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn says the activists are "seeking a change of the (asylum) system at any price" even if they jeopardize the asylum-seekers' health.

About a dozen young men, mostly from Pakistan, are pressing for better living quarters, temporary work permits and other demands while waiting for a decision on their applications to remain in Austria. 

Their supporters say several of them broke of a weeks-long hunger strike just recently.

Schoenborn's comments were reported Monday by the Kathpress news agency. 

Like the cardinal, some politicians also have accused activists of encouraging a continuation of the protest for their own aims.