Exposed fake marriage! An Afghan woman obtains a visa to Austria after marrying a Syrian.
A 20-year-old Syrian man has caused a wide stir in Austria after obtaining a visa for his Afghan wife through what the authorities consider a sham marriage. Despite a clear warning from the immigration police that the marriage 'is clearly a marriage of convenience,' the visa was approved. The newspapers Heute and Kronen Zeitung revealed details of the case that sparked significant political controversy in the country.
According to reports, the young Syrian man came to Austria six years ago as an unaccompanied minor and met the Afghan woman through a video call. He then traveled illegally to Syria and from there to Afghanistan, where an Islamic wedding ceremony was held. The marriage was not consummated, and immediately after returning to Austria, he applied for a residence permit for his new wife. A doctor – said to treat him as a 'foster son' – covered the legal fees amounting to about 5000 euros. Both are believed to be unemployed, raising concerns about the wife's reliance on social assistance after her arrival in Austria.
The issue has sparked outrage from the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), which accused the government of gross negligence. The party's secretary general, Michael Schnedlitz, described the situation as a "complete failure of the asylum system," considering it a slap in the face of hard-working Austrian citizens. Schnedlitz criticized the man's ability to travel freely to his home country from which he fled, viewing it as evidence of abuse of the asylum system. The ruling Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) was also accused of hypocrisy, stating that they "celebrate deportations while ignoring obvious cases of fraud like this."
For its part, the Ministry of Interior announced the opening of an investigation into how the visa was granted under the Residence and Settlement Law. The ministry confirmed that the process was conducted under the supervision of Mario Kunazek, the governor of Styria, and his local administration. The ministry emphasized that the case will be examined thoroughly to ensure full compliance with the law, stating: "The application of the Residence and Settlement Law requires precision and responsibility to protect the rule of law."
At the same time, political accusations between the parties escalated. Nico Marchetti, the Secretary-General of the Austrian People's Party, accused the Freedom Party of hypocrisy, pointing out that the residence permit was issued by the authorities in Styria, which is governed by the party itself. Marchetti stated that this mistake "reveals everything that needs to be known about the Freedom Party's ability to handle immigration issues." For his part, Governor Mario Kunasek thanked the authorities for exposing the case and promised swift action, confirming that his office is considering the possibility of revoking the residence permit from the wife, indicating that the repercussions of this scandal are not over yet.