Austria proceeds with the repatriation of Syrians despite the controversy
Austrian Interior Minister Gerald Karner (ÖVP) defended his country's decision to deport a Syrian man, in the first repatriation to Syria since 2011, despite increasing international criticism. The 32-year-old man was convicted in 2018 of belonging to a terrorist organization and sentenced to seven years in prison, before being released last year and then deported on July 3. Since his return, there has been no news about him, prompting the United Nations to intervene.
Karner rejected calls to reconsider Austria's deportation policy, asserting that returning to Syria is "completely correct" and "necessary." In an interview with the "Ö1 Morning Journal," he explained that a credible asylum and immigration policy requires the deportation of criminals and individuals deemed a threat to public security.
He also referred to the deportation operations carried out by Germany to Afghanistan, considering that Austria should not hesitate to take similar measures, including deportation to Syria. Austria is currently the only country in the European Union that is carrying out these returns. Karner explained that the recent political changes in Syria and talks with Syrian officials have opened the door to resuming deportation operations.
While he ruled out 'mass deportations', Karner confirmed that additional deportations to Syria are already planned. He rejected the UN's criticisms, describing them as 'disconnected from reality and unrealistic', adding that conducting an investigation into the recent case, as the UN requested, is not possible. He explained that Austria deports about 13,000 people annually, nearly half of them forcibly.
Karner emphasized that the asylum system in Austria must remain 'strict, strong, and fair,' and that the consistent implementation of deportations is an essential part of this policy. The Foreign Ministry received a letter from the United Nations calling for a review, but Karner confirmed that his country's stance on deportation policy will not change.