Decrease in the number of asylum seekers, and an increase in the number of applications submitted by women
Data after the end of the third quarter of 2025 showed that the number of asylum applications in Austria continues to decline steadily, with 13,032 applications recorded during the first nine months of the year, a decrease of 32% compared to last year, while the decline across Europe was only 19%. Notably, the statistics show an increase in the percentage of women among asylum seekers, a trend that began in 2024 and continued this year, with the percentage of women reaching 42% after being no more than 24% two years ago. This is partly attributed to the facilitation of asylum procedures for Afghan women, which has led many who were under temporary protection to apply for full asylum.
Data has shown that more than half of asylum seekers are under the age of 18. Statistics indicate that 4,249 Afghans have applied for asylum this year, making them the nationality with the highest number of applications, although the number of Syrians remains significant, with 354 in September alone, most of whom are children born in Austria (197 cases).
Nevertheless, the processing of Syrian applications has become rare since the political situation changed in Damascus. The acceptance rate for asylum applications from Syrians is only 20%, compared to 76% for Afghans. During the first nine months of 2025, protection was granted in 8,860 cases, of which more than 6,500 were granted refugee status, while the rest received subsidiary protection or humanitarian residence. On the other hand, the Federal Care Agency conducted more than 1,350 counseling sessions under the voluntary return program, which also provides financial support of up to 1,000 euros. According to the Ministry of the Interior, about 662 Syrians voluntarily left Austria, while more than 8,450 procedures for withdrawing protection have been opened since the fall of the Assad regime, not including those who have residency rights and are working or studying.
Regarding deportation operations, 10,463 cases have been carried out so far, including 5,516 voluntarily and 4,947 forcibly. Half of the forced cases involved individuals who had criminal convictions.
In this context, Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) called for making deportation to Syria and Afghanistan a fixed policy, especially regarding refugees involved in crimes, stating: "Deportations to Syria and Afghanistan should become the norm." For his part, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) pointed out that the measures taken to combat illegal immigration are beginning to bear fruit, as the number of people in the basic support system has decreased to 55,172, including more than 30,000 displaced persons from Ukraine, marking a decrease of 13,000 people this year.