Austria has recorded more deportations than new asylum applications for the first time in over 20 years, marking a significant shift in the country’s migration landscape. The latest figures from the Interior Ministry show a sharp decline in asylum requests, reflecting a trend that officials say has been developing since 2023.
Between January and June, 4,903 people applied for asylum in Austria, down 44 percent from around 8,800 applications during the same period last year. According to the ministry, the number is the lowest recorded in nearly 23 years. Family reunification also remained limited, with only 48 people entering the country through the program by the end of June.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the figures point to what he described as a “turning point” in Austria’s migration policy. More than 7,000 people either left the country through deportation or other forms of removal during the first half of the year. Among them were 2,200 people with asylum-related status, exceeding the roughly 2,000 first-time asylum applications submitted by newly arrived migrants. Karner called the development “negative migration,” arguing that the trend should be preserved through continued border controls and immigration measures.
Of the total asylum applications, only 2,016 came from people newly arriving in Austria. The remainder included applications from children born in the country, family reunification cases, and repeat applicants. Nearly half of all applicants were minors.
Syria and Afghanistan remained the largest countries of origin, each accounting for about one-quarter of all applications. However, among newly arrived asylum seekers, Afghans formed the largest group, followed by Syrians and Iranians.
Austria currently has 15,278 asylum cases awaiting decisions, with nearly half involving Syrian nationals. While applicants from Iran had the highest approval rate at 76 percent, the recognition rate for Syrians fell sharply to 32 percent, compared with 67 percent last year.
Officials also noted that Austria, alongside Poland, has recorded the steepest decline in asylum applications across the European Union. Meanwhile, more than 45,000 people remain in Austria’s basic support system, the majority of them Ukrainians displaced by war.
