According to preliminary figures from the Interior Ministry, there were 58,686 applications. This corresponds to a decrease of 48 percent compared to 2022. In addition, a good 30,000 asylum seekers evaded the procedure, which normally means that they traveled on to their actual destination countries.
Leaving aside this effect, which has increased since the previous year, it is one of the years with the highest number of applications despite the decline. Two years ago there were almost 40,000 applications. If you look back two years ago, there were less than 13,000 applications in 2019. Of course, this is still well below the 88,300 applications from the year of the refugee crisis in 2015.
By far the strongest nation in terms of applications are Syrians. Afghans and Turkish citizens are also in the top group.
Opposite development
It is obvious that the number of applications fell particularly sharply towards the end of 2023. The 2,508 applications in the last month of the year represent a decrease of 64 percent compared to December 2022. The Ministry of the Interior emphasizes that the development in Austria runs counter to that in Europe as a whole. Because in the EU (plus Switzerland, Norway) an increase of 18 percent was recorded in 2023. Asylum applications have risen particularly sharply in the southern EU member states Greece (plus 73 percent), Italy (plus 64 percent) and Spain (plus 38 percent), but also in Germany (plus 47 percent), the Interior Department lists. A similar decline to that in Austria was observed in Cyprus and Sweden.
more on the subject
How to prevent asylum seekers from becoming social welfare recipients
In Austria, asylum was granted in a total of 16,787 cases last year. In absolute numbers, that is more than in 2022 with 13,779 positive notifications. The Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum and the judiciary made 60,513 legally negative decisions that affected a total of 33,480 people. However, people who receive subsidiary protection instead of asylum are also considered negative. A total of around 7,800 people received the latter status and humanitarian stay in the first eleven months – December is not yet available to the APA.
According to the Interior Ministry, the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum continues to rely on fast-track and urgent procedures. In 2023, 8,421 negative decisions were made within 28 days or 72 hours.
In addition, the Federal Office carried out more than 12,600 deportations, of which 53 percent of the departures were carried out independently and the rest were involuntary. Of course, those deported are not just refugees but also EU citizens who have to leave the country. In the case of forced deportations, around 45 percent of the people have a criminal conviction.
