A large majority of Austrians support a significantly tougher stance on asylum and migration, according to a new opinion survey commissioned by the Interior Ministry and conducted by the polling firm Ipsos, according to APA. The findings point to deep public unease about immigration levels and strong backing for stricter controls, reduced benefits, and expanded police powers.
More than two-thirds of respondents favor barring asylum applications from people who entered the country with the help of smugglers, while an equal share supports rigorous deportations. Similar approval rates were recorded for immediate pushbacks at the border and for requiring asylum seekers to perform community service. Even cuts to social benefits draw majority support, with 61 percent in favor. A slim majority also backs limiting medical care for asylum seekers to basic emergency treatment.
Only 36 percent of those surveyed consider the current number of asylum seekers and refugees manageable. Younger respondents under 29 expressed a more relaxed view, with 45 percent saying the situation is bearable. Opinions were more evenly split among people with university degrees, while concern was notably higher in rural areas than in cities.
The survey also reveals a broadly skeptical view of immigration’s impact across society. Perceived benefits are scarce even in sectors often cited as needing foreign labor. Just 22 percent see positive effects of immigration in health care and elder care. Education and housing are viewed most critically, with only nine and eight percent, respectively, acknowledging any positive influence.
Support for expanded surveillance and policing powers is even more decisive. More than three-quarters of respondents endorse monitoring encrypted messaging services to prevent terrorist attacks—a measure already approved by parliament. Approval rises sharply with age, suggesting a generational divide over privacy concerns.
Video surveillance also enjoys strong backing. Seventy-two percent favor increasing the use of cameras in public spaces, though younger Austrians again prove more skeptical than older cohorts.
Taken together, the findings paint a picture of a country leaning toward security, restriction, and control reflecting anxieties that cut across migration, public services, and safety, and offering political momentum for a harder line on both asylum policy and surveillance.
