Quarters closed

The number of asylum applications continues to fall

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The number of asylum applications continues to fall. Particularly few applications were made in August. In addition, several federal care facilities were closed. 

According to monthly statistics, 1704 applications were submitted in August. This is 74 percent fewer than in the same month in 2023, when 7043 applications were submitted. This also makes August the month with the lowest number of asylum applications and the month with the largest decrease compared to the previous year.

2024 with the lowest number since the coronavirus pandemic
A total of 16,949 applications were registered this year. That is a decrease of 53 percent. This means that we are heading for the lowest number of asylum applications since the first coronavirus year in 2020. These figures have also led to a reduction in room capacities.

Several quarters shut down
On September 15, federal quarters in Semmering, Klingenbach, Vienna and Korneuburg were shut down. This means that only eleven facilities are still in operation. At the beginning of the year there were 20. 71,050 people were accommodated in basic care at the beginning of September, with Ukrainians making up the majority.

Syrians by far the largest group
As far as the origin of the refugees is concerned, Syrians are now by far the largest group this year with over 10,000 applications. The fact that family reunification is no longer the same factor as it was at the beginning of the year can be seen in the significant decline in female asylum seekers. In August, only just under 31 percent of applications came from women. In the first half of the year, the figure was always between 44 and 49 percent.

This year, 19,098 applications were approved, 12,688 of which were for asylum. The remainder were for subsidiary protection or humanitarian residence.

According to provisional figures on deportations in the first eight months, 8912 people left the country, 52 percent of whom were forced to do so. According to the Ministry of the Interior, 45 percent of this group had criminal convictions.

EU-wide decline in applications as well
Asylum applications are continuing to fall not only in Austria, but also across the EU. In June 2024, 70,375 first-time applicants applied for protection in one of the 27 EU countries. This is 17 percent fewer than in June 2023 (84,730), according to the European statistics authority Eurostat on Friday.

Syrians also remained the largest group of asylum seekers across Europe (10,165 first-time applicants). They were followed by Venezuelans (6340) and Afghans (5930). In June 2024, 2395 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in the EU for the first time, most of them came from Syria (675), Afghanistan (405) and Egypt (255). The EU country with the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was Germany (725), followed by Bulgaria (300), Greece (290), the Netherlands (260) and Spain (255). Austria is no longer one of the main destination countries.