Overview on Austria

Chances of getting asylum in Austria depend a lot on your migration history and the preparation of your asylum application. Austria is executing Dublin II and other deportations. People are still being deported to Greece but there is a chance to stop the deportation by appealing to the European Human Rights Court (See: Dublin II Info). Police controls are taking place on trains, in public areas (streets, plazas) as well as in traffic hotspots like train stations. Even though there are strict controls, some people are able to cross through Austria to another country.
From 1st July 2011 on, when applying for asylum, you have to stay inside on of the two first reception centers/camps for the first 5-7 days. Keep this in mind and contact lawyers or friends before your application, it might be more difficult from inside the camp.

The asylum process can last for a long time (from several months to over one or two years) depending on your personal history and how the officials treat the case. It is important to prepare the interviews and to collect material to support your story. In 2010, apart from others, especially people from Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran or the Russian Federation were able to get subsidiary protection or even asylum. There are some independent NGOs providing legal aid. Take note that the "Verein Menschenrechte" which is working in the camps has close ties to the government and has no interest in helping you get asylum! Better contact one of the listed NGOs.
There are some antiracist groups and individuals which try to support migrants but their resources are limited. In big cities like Vienna, various migrant communities exist from different countries.