MELK, Austria — A 30-year-old Afghan man was deported from Austria within hours after being caught working illegally in the district of Melk, Lower Austria, according to Heute. Officials say the man, whose asylum request had already been rejected, was detained and placed on a flight to Kabul via Istanbul the very next night.
Authorities said the man arrived in Austria during the late summer of 2022 and had applied for asylum shortly after. When his application was denied, he no longer had the legal right to stay. His discovery by tax officials working without authorization triggered a rapid response, detention, processing, and immediate expulsion.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner defended the decision, saying it reflected Austria’s firm stance on illegal migration and enforcement of asylum laws. “Convicted criminals and people without residence rights are being deported, including to Syria and Afghanistan,” Karner said. He added that the government’s newly approved asylum pact was designed to make deportations faster and more efficient.
Official figures show Austria carried out over 14,000 deportations last year, nearly 40 every day, with about half of them being forced removals. Roughly one in four deportees had a prior criminal record.
For Karner and other government officials, quick action is part of a broader strategy to enforce immigration rules and deter others from working or staying illegally. “People must understand that those without the right to remain will have to leave,” an Interior Ministry statement said.
The case has drawn attention as yet another sign of Austria’s tougher approach to irregular migration, even as Europe remains divided on the issue. Supporters argue that strict enforcement protects the integrity of the asylum system, while critics say such rapid deportations risk sidelining humanitarian considerations.
For now, the message from Vienna is clear: those who violate immigration laws can expect swift consequences, sometimes within a single day.
