Austria as a problematic asylum country 

Back to: History and Background of Migration in Austria

The upheaval in Romania at the turn of the year 1989/90 and the resulting number of refugees marked a further turning point in Austrian asylum and refugee policy. Under the impression of highly emotional domestic political debates, the right of asylum was gradually dismantled. To „prevent abuse of asylum“, „accelerated asylum procedures“ were introduced, visa obligations imposed on asylum seekers‘ most important countries of origin and deportations facilitated.

As early as 1990, the heated „debate on foreigners“ led to a comprehensive tightening of the law on foreigners. At that time, restrictive provisions were already intended to reduce access to asylum procedures and have a deterrent effect on potential asylum seekers.

The collapse of the Yugoslav state and the subsequent armed conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo led to the largest refugee movement in Europe after the Second World War. Many of the refugees sought protection in Austria, not least because of their geographical proximity. In 1992 about 50,000 refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina came to Austria, and by 1995 about 90,000 persons had been granted temporary residence.

Since 1999 there has been a decisive change in the composition of the refugee population. For a long time, non-European asylum seekers represented only a small, albeit growing, minority compared to European asylum seekers. Since the turn of the millennium, however, this ratio has reversed.

In spring 2015 the flow of refugees to Austria increased and the Traiskirchen camp became too small. As a result, quotas for the accommodation of asylum seekers were agreed with the individual provinces. Whether expected or unexpected – at the beginning of September more and more refugees from Hungary came to Austria, mainly to Vienna, where they wanted to travel from the Westbahnhof via Salzburg to Germany.

In 2015, a total of 650,000 refugees crossed Austria on their way to north-western Europe – mainly to Germany and Scandinavia. A further 90,000 had applied for asylum.

Between 2017 and summer 2019, the right-wing coalition government tightened the situation not only for refugees but also for refugee counselling organisations. It remains to be seen whether the parliamentary elections in September 2019 will lead to an amelioration which will restitute the reputation of Austria as an open and pluralistic society.