Europe-wide increase

Asylum applications in Austria halved

Asylum applications halved in January compared to the same period in 2023. However, 2,300 people still arrived in Austria. At the same time, 60 percent of the applications processed this month were rejected. 

Almost 4,000 procedures were decided negatively or discontinued. 428 people left Austria during the procedure, 979 people were deported, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, which are available to the "Krone".

1022 asylum applications in January came from women, 1265 applications from men. Syria remains the largest country in terms of applicants. In Europe, there were more than 77,571 asylum applications in January, almost as many as in the previous year (minus five percent). Applications rose sharply in Greece (up 46 percent) and Italy (up 45 percent). Extrapolated to the population, Austria is in eighth place in the Europe-wide statistics.

Ships continue to arrive full in Italy and Greece(Bild: AFP)

There were a total of 3907 negative decisions in January, in 1983 cases asylum or subsidiary protection was granted. Around 40 percent of asylum applications for Syrians were rejected and 57 percent for Afghans. Applicants from Morocco, India and Georgia had no chance of asylum in January. Here, the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum continues to rely on fast-track and urgent procedures. So far in January 2024, 266 negative decisions have been made within 28 days or 72 hours.

Of the 979 deportations carried out by the BFA, 461 were carried out independently and 518 were forced. In the case of forced removals, 41 percent of the persons were convicted under criminal law. For example, 23 people were returned to Bulgaria by the end of January, including 14 Syrian and five Afghan citizens.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the pressure on the Turkish-Bulgarian and Greek external borders in particular remains high. The "coastal route" in the Western Balkans via Bosnia-Croatia-Slovenia to Italy now accounts for 75 percent of total arrivals in the Balkans. The department attributes this to Austria's controls, which would cause the smuggling mafia to "steer clear of Austria".

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

"The development in asylum numbers shows that the strict and consistent approach in the fight against asylum abuse and smuggling crime is the right one. This is no reason to rejoice, but a mandate to continue working hard. The burden on Austria is still high," says Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.