Austria’s Interior Ministry has announced a new plan to encourage Syrian refugees to return to their home country, offering financial incentives over a limited three-month period, according to Austrian Press Agency.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said on Tuesday that from July to September, Syrians who choose to leave voluntarily will receive cash bonuses. The initiative comes about a year and a half after the political shift in Damascus, during which around 2,000 Syrians have already left Austria, some voluntarily and others through deportation.
Karner stressed that voluntary return is not only more humane but also less costly for the state. He added that the program could help Syria’s reconstruction while easing pressure on Austria’s social systems.
Under the plan, financial support will vary depending on legal status. Syrians still in the asylum process, those receiving basic welfare support, or those with subsidiary protection may receive up to 3,000 euros if they return voluntarily. Recognized refugees, who previously received 1,000 euros, will now be offered 1,500 euros.
The government has not estimated how many people may take part. The program will be reviewed after three months, and Karner ruled out increasing the payments if participation is lower than expected.
Officials also plan an information campaign to reach eligible individuals. This will include detailed information sheets and direct outreach through mail. Since the fall of the Assad regime, around 13,000 Syrian asylum cases in Austria have been reopened and reassessed, with 4,400 people seeing their protection status reduced or revoked.
The policy has drawn criticism from the opposition. Freedom Party security spokesman Gernot Darmann called the measure “another act of asylum madness,” arguing that offering up to 3,000 euros to people who had lived in Austria for years at taxpayers’ expense was unfair to citizens.
Meanwhile, stricter border procedures remain limited in scope. At Vienna’s Schwechat Airport, only four individuals are currently being held under fast-track asylum procedures aimed at quickly returning those without valid claims.
In the first half of the year, about 7,000 people were deported from Austria. Of these, 400 cases were classified as difficult removals, often involving resistance or individuals with criminal records.
