A look at the current figures reveals the strong increase that has been noted in the number of asylum applications filed in Austria since the start of the year. More than 56,000 applications have been registered in the first eight months of this year. Compared to the same period last year, there was an increase of 195 percent.

Things have also changed in the home country, especially in the last two months. In July and August, India was the dominant applicant home country, not Syria and Afghanistan. The majority of asylum seekers come via Serbia, where Indians are specifically recruited due to labor shortages. Many later moved, were picked up in Austria and submitted applications.

problem with return

However, they have practically no chance of asylum, their cases are handled by their own fast track procedure, which is resolved in an average of 25 days. In the first eight months of the year, 11,451 such fast-track procedures were concluded negatively – three times the previous year’s overall figure.

The problem: Austria is currently practically unable to return rejected asylum seekers from India to their home countries. The Interior Ministry is working feverishly on a related deal, but such a deal may have to happen at the EU level. So far this hasn’t worked. The number of applicants from Pakistan and North Africa is also increasing, and they also have little prospect of staying.

However, currently, only a small percentage of applicants with little opportunity to stay are in basic care. There are currently 90,000 recipients, about 60,000 of whom are refugees from Ukraine. The majority of those who have little chance of proceeding before their application is decided.