Lower Austria to close Schrems asylum home by 31 December
The asylum accommodation in Horner Strasse in Schrems, in the Gmünd district of Lower Austria, will close on 31 December 2026. The province's councillor for asylum and security, Martin Antauer (FPÖ), announced the closure on Friday. The facility has up to 40 places.
Schrems is the sixth asylum home in Lower Austria to close as part of an ongoing review of the province's accommodation. It follows Michelhausen, Bruck an der Leitha, Schottwien, St. Pölten and Tulln. According to the province, the people currently living in Schrems will be moved to other accommodation. Antauer said the province wants to make Lower Austria as unattractive as possible as a place for asylum seekers. The ÖVP pointed to falling numbers of asylum applications and of people in basic care.
Who is affected: the residents of the Schrems facility who receive basic care (Grundversorgung). Closing a home does not change anyone's asylum procedure, protection status or entitlement to basic care. It changes where people live. The number of people in basic care in Lower Austria had already fallen to about 5,900 by the end of August, down from 7,900, according to figures reported in September.
What to do: if you or a family member live in the Schrems facility, wait for written information about your new accommodation and register your new address (Meldezettel) after the move. Tell your legal adviser and the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) about your new address, because missed letters can affect your procedure. For questions about the transfer, contact the basic care office of the province of Lower Austria.