Austrian bar bans ‘all asylum-seekers’ over alleged harassment

A bar owner in Austria says Wednesday she banned “all asylum-seekers” after alleged attacks on guests, sparking strong criticism from human rights groups.

Karin Siebrecht-Janisch, who runs Charly’s Bar in the picturesque spa town of Bad Ischl in Upper Austria state, says she took the decision after male migrants had repeatedly harassed her female clientele in recent months.

Things escalated on New Year’s Eve when “several asylum-seekers” groped a waitress, according to Siebrecht-Janisch.

“After that I had enough and I decided to ban them all until we find the culprits. I need to protect my guests and my family,” she tells AFP.

Siebrecht-Janisch says she had also hired bouncers and introduced a two-euro door charge, which she expected “migrants aren’t able to pay.”

–– AFP