What happens next?

Return to Syria? “Too early. We have to wait and see”

Sawra Kerdia (45) and Abdulhkeem Alshater (43) - two of around 61,000 Syrians living in the Austrian capital.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/privat)

40,000 Syrians could soon be without asylum. How does the Syrian community in Vienna feel about deportations and how do they see the future of the war-torn country? The "Krone" spoke to two of those affected.

While Germany is currently discussing paying Syrians willing to leave the country 1000 euros in "start-up money", the Ministry of the Interior in Austria is already preparing an orderly repatriation program. Exact details are still pending - but 40,000 Syrians could have their asylum status revoked. But what do the Syrians living in Vienna actually think about this?

After the jubilant mood, there is great uncertainty in the community as to how things will continue in the war-torn country. For Sawra Kerdia (45), returning is currently not an option. As an Ismaili, she belongs to the endangered minority there. Her husband was tortured to death by the Syrian regime. "Austria has given us security and support. We have a stable life here," says the mother of three.

61.6 percent

The majority of Syrian nationals in Austria are under the age of 30. This compares to only 31.4 percent of the population as a whole.

Abdulhkeem Alshater, head of the "Free Syrian Community of Austria", currently has his hands full. He has been here since 2015 and quickly learned the German language. After just three months on a preparatory course, Alshater passed his final apprenticeship exam as a painter and decorator straight away and still works in the profession today. He is also committed to democracy and the integration of Syrian refugees in Austria and helped organize the hotly debated demonstration on the Ring on Sunday.

His association openly opposes the Assad regime, Islamism and extremism in any form. After the devastating floods in Lower Austria in September 2024, the free Syrian community mobilized hundreds of volunteers to support the affected people on the ground.

Alshater had already staged demonstrations against the Assad regime in his native city of Homs, but these were brutally suppressed.(Bild: Privat)

How does he view the suspension of asylum status and the preparations for deportations? "I don't think it's right, because Syria is not stable. It will take a long time until the situation is clear," says Alshater. He himself, on the other hand, can well imagine returning to his old homeland, but only if two conditions are met. Syria's future must be a free and democratic one. "But it's still too early at the moment. We have to wait and see," says the 43-year-old.