Austria recorded 1,582 asylum applications in July

The number of asylum applications filed in Austria also decreased in July, the Ministry of the Interior reported. A total of 1,582 applications were filed in the previous month, a decrease of 217 applications or twelve percent compared to July of the previous year. Most of them came from people from Afghanistan. Since the beginning of the year, the number has decreased by 34 percent to 10,219 applications (January to July 2024: 15,433).

About two-thirds of the applications since the beginning of the year are so-called follow-up applications. These are mainly individuals who already have a protection status (such as women from Afghanistan who were previously under subsidiary protection and are now applying for asylum due to a ruling by the European Court of Justice ECJ).

Austria Ninth in Asylum Applications

The Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum granted asylum or subsidiary protection in 6,064 cases from January to July. 18,609 procedures were rejected or discontinued. By the end of July, 1,082 people voluntarily renounced protection and left Austria. There were 7,829 deportations during this period, 49 percent (3,798 cases) of which were forced.

Across Europe, the decrease in asylum applications since the beginning of the year was 21 percent. According to the Ministry of the Interior, Austria ranks tenth in the Europe-wide statistics when adjusted for population. In terms of absolute application numbers, it is in ninth place.

FPÖ Sees "Deception"

While ÖVP General Secretary Nico Marchetti received the news from the department of his party colleague Gerhard Karner positively and spoke in a statement about the continued successful pushback of illegal migration, criticism came from the FPÖ. General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz identified a mere "propaganda show" and "brazen deception." The alleged "successes" cited by Karner, such as in deportations, are a complete sham. A real turnaround in asylum policy, an effective stop to illegal immigration, and the restoration of security for the population will only happen with the Freedom Party.

(APA/Red)

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