Two-Year Entry Ban for German Climate Activist Anja Windl in Austria

"The authority's reasoning lacks any basis," criticized the lawyer of the German climate activist Anja Windl, Ralf Niederhammer, on Monday. Windl has never been criminally convicted in Austria, but the prerequisite for such a ban is a "serious threat to public order or safety" due to her long stay in Austria, explained Niederhammer.

"However, she is often accused of the activities of the 'Last Generation' and her social media appearances," he criticized. "It is unclear to me how this should pose such a threat that justifies a residence ban," said the lawyer. "The BFA even accuses her of wanting to change the political conditions in Austria. Considering that she is advocating for the compliance with the demands of the Climate Council, this is somewhat curious."

Lawyer to File Complaint Against Residence Ban for Climate Activist Anja Windl

In the decision available to the APA from last Thursday, the 28-year-old is attributed, among other things, a "leading role" in recruiting new members and is attested a "focus" in the "field of public relations." She has also appeared several times due to the suspicion of criminal acts "in police records." Her "quarrelsome tendency" is not an expression of activism, but aimed at a "far-reaching disturbance of public peace and order," as stated in the document. Niederhammer announced a complaint to the Federal Administrative Court. This will also suspend the legally prescribed four-week period to leave the country.

Climate Activist Anja Windl: "Will Not Leave the Country Voluntarily"

Windl herself spoke to the APA of "an attempt to take action against peaceful protest." A "disturbing handling of activism is being normalized." She has had her "center of life in Austria" for seven years, said Windl. "I will not leave the country voluntarily." The BFA has been examining "a measure to end her residence" against her since March 2023. The Ministry of the Interior had then referred to data protection. Regarding the general procedure for residence bans, the ministry stated on Monday that "all relevant information is collected and the circumstances of each individual case are carefully examined" during the process. "The assessment under immigration law is carried out independently and separately from the criminal courts," it further stated. It is always "an administrative legal measure to protect against dangers to public order and safety."

Criminal Proceedings Against Climate Activist Anja Windl Ongoing

Windl has been living in Klagenfurt since autumn 2017. The Bavarian student is considered one of the faces of the Austrian offshoot of the climate protection movement "Last Generation," which was dissolved in August 2024. Together with the group, she has protested against the federal government's climate policy in recent years, including with traffic blockades on roads or highways. The question of the criminal relevance of the protests is still unresolved. Investigations by the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office on suspicion of forming a criminal organization and serious property damage against the student and other former members of the "Last Generation" have been ongoing since November 2023.

Criticism from Amnesty International, Activists, and Lawyers

The human rights organization "Amnesty International" interpreted the BFA's decision on Monday as a "possible continuation of a trend to criminalize climate protests." The right to peaceful protest is a human right and should be "protected rather than criminalized," it was stated to the APA. "We must be cautious when we start punishing and deporting people for participating in protests that the government or authorities do not want," warned Secretary General Shoura Hashemi. In Austria, there should be no climate of fear "when it comes to protest."

Windl's fellow campaigners expressed similar sentiments. In a joint statement, the former "Last Generation" referred to the current UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst, who warned in March 2024 of an "increasingly harsh crackdown" on environmental activists, as well as European law expert Walter Obwexer from the University of Innsbruck. For a residence ban, "first of all, a serious crime is needed (...) and then also the danger that another crime will be committed," said Obwexer in March 2023 in the Ö1-Morning Journal.

Laila Kriechbaum, spokesperson for Fridays For Future Austria, also criticized the decision: "Peaceful protest is a fundamental requirement in democracy. Intimidating activists instead of comprehensively tackling the climate crisis is not only democratically highly questionable but the actual security risk for the population! Much more uncomfortable than any peaceful protest is to simply let the climate crisis happen." It is expected that the circumstances will be "set right."

"Long Overdue": Joy at FPÖ and ÖVP

Meanwhile, the FPÖ expressed satisfaction. The residence ban was "long overdue," said Carinthian FP leader Erwin Angerer. The activist had "fooled the authorities for years and cost our taxpayers hundreds of thousands of euros through police operations with her gluing actions," said Angerer. The former ÖVP-Green federal government had always "handled the group around the activist with kid gloves," it was stated.

ÖVP Lower Austria state manager Matthias Zauner called the decision a "good day for all those affected." Anja Windl had "tyrannized the working population for years with her pointless disruptive and gluing actions, always pursuing only one goal: to increase her own notoriety, to push herself into the spotlight and to stage herself." Zauner called the BFA's decision a "good, right, and consistent" one, which is "hopefully the only thing that sticks now and in the future!"

(APA/Red)

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