Austria announces Syria return campaign for July–September 2026

Austria announced further measures on returns.

Austria reported that around 7,000 people were removed from the country during the first half of 2026, marking the highest number of removals since such statistics have been recorded. Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, around 13,000 asylum cases were reassessed, resulting in the protection status of 4,400 individuals being downgraded or revoked.

To encourage voluntary returns, the government announced a voluntary return campaign for Syrian nationals between July and September 2026 and increased financial return assistance. Syrian nationals with pending asylum applications and those with subsidiary protection who receive basic welfare support will be eligible for up to €3,000 per person if they voluntarily return to Syria, while financial assistance for all other Syrians who return voluntarily will increase from €1,000 to €1,500.

Additional measures include the expansion of return counselling services, support for the establishment of return centers in third countries in cooperation with several EU Member States, and the opening of a new border asylum processing terminal at Vienna-Schwechat Airport as part of the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.