Syrians submit the largest number of applications in Austria — but they are the least likely to receive protection
Austria has witnessed a sharp decline in asylum applications this year, with only 14,325 applications submitted between January and October 2025 — about a third less compared to the same period last year. October recorded the largest drop, indicating a significant change in migration patterns.
A large part of this decline is explained by an unusual pattern: many applications are submitted not by new arrivals, but by children born in Austria. Syrians submitted the largest number of applications in October, but most of the 359 applications were for children born in Austria. Data from the first ten months show that children make up the largest group of asylum seekers, with children under the age of seven accounting for about a third of the applications, and minors making up more than half of the applicants.
At the same time, family reunification has almost disappeared. After strict restrictions were imposed on this pathway, only nine people entered the country in October under the family reunification framework, compared to 384 people in the same month last year, reflecting a sharp decline in the legal pathways available for families.
New figures from Newsdesk Heute show significant differences in asylum acceptance rates based on nationality. Only 21% of Syrians were granted asylum, making them the least likely to receive protection. In contrast, Afghans received the highest acceptance rates at 75%, despite Austria resuming the deportation of adult men to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Notably, most Afghan asylum applications this year were submitted by women, due to specific social and political conditions in their country.
Despite the decrease in the number of applications, more than 10,000 people received positive protection decisions this year. About 7,200 were granted asylum, around 1,800 received subsidiary protection, while others obtained humanitarian permits. The number of beneficiaries of basic support continues to decline, with 54,702 people currently receiving assistance — including over 30,000 displaced from Ukraine — down from 93,000 at the beginning of 2023 and more than 68,000 at the start of 2025.