VIENNA, March 3: A group of mainly Pakistani asylum-seekers who had been occupying a central Vienna church since mid-December moved out on Sunday and into a monastery, organisers said.

The protesters took up an offer from Roman Catholic Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn and moved to a nearby abbey, the Catholic social charity Caritas said.

Around 40 refugees, some of them on hunger strike, had moved from a tent camp in a park into the Votive Church before the Christmas holidays in December.

The high-profile protest, which involved some in the group consuming only soup and liquids for a month, was meant to press for better conditions for refugees in Austria and the European Union.

“We are happy that we can continue our efforts towards obtaining better conditions for refugees and a safe future for all in a new, open place and in regular accommodation,” said Adalat Khan, a spokesman for the protesters.

The number of people taking part in the protest in the freezing-cold church varied between a handful and several dozen. Doctors had expressed serious concerns for the health of those on hunger strike.

The protesters’ demands include being able to choose where they live, access to jobs, schools and social security, and a halt to forced deportation.

They also complain of overcrowding in Austria’s main refugee camp, the fact that they can be moved between camps without consultation and the fact that Austria keeps their fingerprints.

Asylum-seekers in Austria are allowed to seek seasonal work such as fruit harvesting after three months, but may not seek permanent employment until their asylum request is approved.—Agencies