VIENNA — Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) has signaled an even tougher asylum policy, saying refugee family reunification should remain near zero and indicating deportations to Afghanistan are likely.
Citing falling illegal migration figures, Karner said the government will scale back border management infrastructure. He pointed to what he called milestones since the coalition took office, including a temporary six-month halt to family reunification, with an option to extend.
Under current rules, refugees may only bring family members during the first year in exceptional cases, followed by strict quotas. Karner told the Austrian Press Agency that future quotas “could start at zero” and would stay “very low.”
Austria recently carried out its first deportation to Syria in 14 years — expelling a 32-year-old ISIS supporter who had served seven years in prison. The man vanished after a stopover in Istanbul, but Karner defended the deportation: “If we prevented even one crime, it was worth it.” He rejected a UN request to track the man’s fate, noting Austria deports about 13,000 people annually.
Karner said deportations to Afghanistan are also under consideration, noting Germany has already resumed such removals.
Beyond asylum policy, Karner announced a significant expansion of police video surveillance. Currently limited to 20 locations, including Vienna’s Reumannplatz and Graz’s Jakominiplatz, the network could grow to over 100 sites.
At present, surveillance is only permitted where serious attacks have already occurred. A new directive would allow cameras in areas identified by police risk assessments as potential targets of future attacks or home to criminal networks. Recorded footage will still be kept for only 48 hours.
Karner also promised broader knife bans, framing the measures as part of a wider strategy to bolster public safety.
