Syrians are leaving and Austria records a decline in asylum applications
Austria is witnessing a continued significant decline in the number of asylum applications, especially from Syrians, following the suspension of applications and the initiation of withdrawal procedures after the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, the number of applications from Syrians has decreased by nearly 80% in May 2025 compared to the previous year, with only 341 applications submitted, of which only 117 were new applications, while the rest were mostly for children born in Austria.
The number of asylum applications in May reached 1,443, more than half of which were not new, but rather follow-up applications or for children born in Austria. Afghanistan topped the list with 513 applications, including 223 new applications, while applications from Afghan women were among the most notable follow-up cases due to a ruling issued by the European Court of Justice.
Family reunification also declined significantly, with the number of actual entries dropping from 1,270 in May 2024 to only 74 in May 2025, due to strict monitoring and a temporary freeze on this type of applications.
At the European level, Europe (including Switzerland and Norway) witnessed an overall decline of 22% in the number of asylum applications by the end of May, equivalent to 93,906 fewer applications compared to the same period in 2024. Some countries recorded slight increases, such as Poland, Luxembourg, and Croatia, while applications significantly decreased in countries like Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Germany.
Austria ranks tenth in Europe in terms of the number of asylum applications relative to its population, and ninth in absolute numbers behind Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
In the statistics of decisions, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees issued 13,143 rejection or suspension decisions in May, while only 4,484 people were granted asylum or secondary protection. The acceptance rate for some nationalities was almost nonexistent, such as Morocco (1.2%), Georgia (2.3%), and India (0%).
5,526 people have been deported since the beginning of 2025, almost half of them forcibly, while the rest left voluntarily. Among those deported, more than 47% have criminal records. A total of 426 deportations were carried out under the Dublin Agreement, including 58 Syrians. More than 300 Syrians have left Austria since the beginning of the year, a number that exceeds by a third the total departures in 2023 and 2024 combined.
As for the basic assistance, there are currently only 60,989 people in the care system, down from 93,000 at the beginning of 2023, which has allowed for significant savings.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner praised this decline, considering that strict measures, such as the suspension of family reunification and the implementation of the benefits card, have eased the financial burden and allowed for more investments in the field of security. He also commended states like Steiermark for adopting the same strict approach initiated by Oberösterreich.