Volksanwaltschaft

14. July 2026 The Austrian Ombudsman Board, acting as an independent oversight body, monitors screening and asylum border procedures

Monitoring of human rights under the new Common European Asylum System (CEAS) – Oversight by the Federal Commission, Head of Division Judith…

08. July 2026 The Expert Commission on the Prison System confirms what we have known for a long time

The report by the Expert Commission on the Prison System highlights a significant need for reform. Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz feels her position has…

Ombudswoman Gaby Schwarz stands in her office with her arms crossed, wearing a black and white dress.

08. July 2026 An Ombudsperson for the People – Luisser takes stock of his first year as a public authority

Ombudsperson Christoph Luisser’s first year in office in figures: 5,797 complaints, of which 1,019 were upheld, and 4,864 cases concluded within his…

07. July 2026 Delay in issuing the Parent-Child Pass: transitional arrangements needed to avoid penalties on childcare allowance

Ombudsperson Achitz: Parents lose 1,300 euros if they have the required tests carried out but the results are not forwarded

A paediatrician examines a child with a stethoscope (illustrative image)

03. July 2026 Ombudsperson Luisser launches a wide-ranging investigation into Vienna’s ‘sauna classes’

Ombudsperson Christoph Luisser has launched an official investigation into a puzzling study from 2021 and an alleged ban on teachers speaking

02. July 2026 Ombudsperson Achitz criticises fragmented anti-discrimination legislation

Universal Periodic Review (UPR): The Austrian Ombudsman Board reports to the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Austria

Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz, portrait photograph

30. June 2026 NGO Forum: Blind Spots in the Healthcare System, Part 4: Racial Discrimination

At the Ombudsman’s Office’s 2026 NGO Forum, experts spoke about the discrimination faced by people with disabilities, women and those living in…

NGO Forum 2026, Event Centre of the Federation of Social Insurance Institutions

29. June 2026 Farce over disabled parking permits – Ombudsperson Luisser calls for ‘free travel’ for people with mobility impairments

A Viennese woman with reduced mobility is required to keep her disabled parking permit in her own car, despite having a parking space allocated on the…

25. June 2026 Ombudsperson Achitz recommends: Communicate with public authorities in writing!

Criticism of payment suspensions and long processing times for Vienna’s minimum income scheme

Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz in the ORF ‘Bürgeranwalt’ studio (archive photo)

25. June 2026 Ombudsman’s Office submits human rights report to the United Nations

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June) – Achitz: A high number of inspections is essential to identify and prevent human rights…

Human Rights Report by the Ombudsman’s Office, English-language version, cover

Current news

Articles