Return bonus for Syrians: This is how many have left the country
Austria says hundreds of Syrian citizens have already returned home under a government-backed scheme offering financial support of up to €3,000 for voluntary return.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) presented an interim assessment of the programme on Tuesday. The initiative provides financial assistance to Syrians returning to their home country during July, August and September.
According to the Interior Ministry, around 240 Syrian citizens left Austria in July alone. A total of about 640 Syrians have returned this year, with many of those departures taking place in July.
Since the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024, approximately 2,000 Syrian nationals have left Austria, according to ministry figures. By comparison, only around 200 people returned to Syria during 2023 and 2024.
The government says the programme is attracting particular interest from families receiving basic welfare support. Officials said around 350 additional departures are currently being prepared, although each return requires careful planning and counselling.
Elisabeth Wenger-Donig, a senior official at the Interior Ministry, said Syrians are returning to different parts of the country. Because conditions can vary between regions, returnees receive return counselling to help them understand what they may face after arriving.
Karner defended the maximum €3,000 payment as a reasonable amount. He compared it with Denmark, which he said offers significantly more financial support for voluntary returns, arguing that Austria's approach was more moderate.
The return programme has also triggered political criticism. Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) security spokesman Gernot Darmann dismissed the government's broader asylum figures as misleading and strongly attacked the return payments, arguing that taxpayers should not finance incentives for people who entered Austria illegally.