The number of asylum applications in Austria has sharply declined.
Austria recorded a significant decline in the number of asylum applications in the first quarter of 2025, with only 4,644 applications submitted, a decrease of 33% compared to the same period in 2024.
March was the weakest month since July 2020, with the number of applications not exceeding 1,329. Notably, the number of new applications was very low, with only about a third of the applications being initial; the rest were for legal status adjustment, family reunification, or concerning children born in Austria.
This trend is particularly evident among Afghan citizens, with 504 applications submitted, of which only 93 are new. This is partly attributed to a previous ruling by the EuGH (European Court of Justice) stating that Afghan women do not require individual procedures, prompting many to apply for asylum after being covered by subsidiary protection only.
The situation is similar among Syrians, where the number of repeated applications was 268, compared to only 58 new applications. This is partly due to Austria continuing to accept applications from Syrians, but they are mostly not processed due to the unclear political situation following the coup in Damascus. Additionally, family reunification laws are expected to be fully suspended for at least a year. Interestingly, more than half of the applications this year were submitted by minors.
Currently, there are 12,918 open applications for Syrians and 4,112 for Afghans, bringing the total number of applications under processing to about 15,300. Regarding the decisions, Austria granted asylum in 2,120 cases during the first three months of the year. Subsidiary protection was granted in 451 cases, and humanitarian residence was granted in 299 cases. Afghans topped the categories that received residence rights, with about 1,500 people granted asylum, compared to only 77 Syrians.
The decline in the number of requests was not limited to Austria, but also included Europe in general, where the number of requests reached 210,641 by the end of March, a decrease of 19%. However, Poland, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Belgium recorded an increase in the number of requests. When comparing the number of requests to the population, Austria dropped to the tenth position in Europe.
Despite the decline in the number of applications, the Grundversorgung (basic care) system is still under pressure, as more than 65,000 people received assistance at the beginning of April, a decrease of 3,000 compared to the beginning of the year. It is worth noting that 55% of these are Ukrainian displaced persons.