Asylum Applications in Austria Drop by 35%

In the first quarter of the year, Austria has witnessed a significant decline in asylum applications, with a drop of 35% compared to the same period last year. According to the asylum statistics released for April, a total of 6,056 asylum requests were filed between January and April, contrasting sharply with the 9,259 applications recorded in the same timeframe in 2024.

A notable trend in the data reveals that the majority of these applications are not new; instead, they are predominantly filed by individuals who have been residing in the country for some time or by children born to refugee parents in Austria. For instance, of the 329 asylum applications submitted by Syrian nationals in April, only 103 were from new applicants. Similarly, out of 512 applications from Afghan nationals, just 117 were new requests, with the remainder being follow-up applications or requests from children born in Austria.

According to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, the recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling has influenced the asylum-seeking patterns of Afghan women, who are now applying for asylum when they have only been granted subsidiary protection.

In terms of family reunification, the effects of the proposed temporary halt on family migration appear minimal, with only 138 entries recorded under this category in April. It is also important to note that, following the recent power shift in Damascus, applications from Syrian nationals are now only being processed under exceptional circumstances.

Austria's asylum situation is now more in line with the European Union's average, as the country ranks tenth in terms of per capita asylum applications within the EU. Across Europe, there has been a general decrease of 22% in asylum requests this year, with only a few countries like Poland, Croatia, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France reporting an increase.

Another significant observation is that more than half of the asylum seekers in Austria are minors. Specifically, approximately one-third belong to the 0 to 3 age group, while only 20% of applicants are aged 35 or older. The gender distribution among asylum seekers has also become more balanced, with women comprising 45% of applications in April, a notable shift from previous years when male applicants were predominant.

So far this year, over 4,000 individuals have been granted protection status, with 2,972 granted asylum and 621 receiving subsidiary protection. The rest of the approvals have been designated for humanitarian residence permits.

Meanwhile, the number of individuals utilizing basic care services has decreased by approximately 2,000 since last month, with over 63,000 people currently benefitting from these provisions. Among those receiving assistance, 55% are displaced individuals from Ukraine.