Ministry reports decline in applications for international protection, family reunification arrivals and number of persons in reception

The Ministry of the Interior reported 223 first-time applications for international protection in August 2026, compared with 675 in August 2025, representing a decrease of almost 67%.The overall number of applications also declined significantly: 769 applications, including first-time and subsequent applications, were lodged in August 2026, compared with 1,456 in August 2025, a decrease of more than 47%. Between January-August 2026, a total of 6,512 applications were lodged, compared with 11,898 in the same period in 2025, representing a decline of more than 45%. In August, most applications were lodged by Syrian nationals (231), the majority of these concerned children born in Austria.

Only 60 entries through family reunification were recorded from January-August 2026, compared to 979 entries during the same period in 2025. Family reunification was suspended by regulation for a further 6 months at the beginning of January 2026 and will subsequently be made subject to a quota, which is expected to be very low.

By the end of August, 10,440 people had been required to leave Austria, of whom 5,275 (51%) were forcibly returned and 5,165 (49%) left voluntarily. According to the Ministry of the Interior, around 48% of those removed had previous criminal convictions in Austria. Since the fall of the Assad regime, around 2,000 Syrian nationals have left Austria. By comparison, only around 200 Syrians returned from Austria to their country of origin in 2023 and 2024 combined. According to the ministry, measures aimed at supporting return to Syria have contributed positively to this development.

516 Dublin transfers had been carried out by the end of August 2026, including 73 Afghan nationals, 53 Russian nationals and 49 Moroccan nationals.

By the end of August 2026, 19,760 asylum proceedings had resulted either in a negative decision or in the discontinuation of the procedure. In addition, 645 persons voluntarily withdrew their application for international protection and left Austria during the proceedings. In 7,990 cases, asylum or subsidiary protection was granted. For countries with a low likelihood of stay, the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) continues to rely on accelerated and fast-track procedures. By the end of July 2026, 321 negative decisions had been issued within 28 days or, at first instance, within 72 hours.

Lastly, regarding reception, 41,605 persons are currently receiving basic care in Austria, including around 4,900 asylum applicants, the lowest figure in more than 20 years. The majority of those in basic care (24,890) are displaced persons from Ukraine, many of them women and children. By comparison, at the beginning of 2023, nearly 93,000 persons were receiving basic care.