Overview of the of the main changes since the previous report update

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The previous update of the report was published in June 2024.

International protection

Asylum procedure

• Key asylum statistics: 25,360 applications were lodged in 2024, a decrease of more than 50% compared to 2023 (59,000). The structure of asylum applications changed substantially: 41% (2023: 73%) of all applications were first time applications on the territory while first time applications via family reunifications went up from 4% in 2022 (4,181) to 30% in 2024 (7,652). The top three countries of origins of applicants in 2024 were Syria (55%), Afghanistan (13%) and Türkiye (4%). In 25,260 cases an international protection or humanitarian status were granted. In 6,761 cases, no status was granted, resulting in a protection rate in cases decided on merits of 79%. (see Statistics).
• Access to the territory: Austria maintained internal border controls at the borders with Czechia and Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary throughout 2024. Moreover, the Austrian police continued joint police cooperation with the Hungarian police under “Operation Fox”, which also operates directly on Hungarian territory. The police operation is controversial since there have been reports of pushbacks conducted by the Hungarian police especially on the Serbo-Hungarian border. On the other hand, Germany maintained internal border controls with Austria. In an internal protocol in February 2025, the Ministry of Interior stated that there are indications of unlawful rejections conducted by the German police at the German-Austrian border (see Access to the territory and push backs).
• Secondary movement and discontinued cases: The number of discontinued cases decreased substantially in 2024. In 2022 and 2023, more than 70,000 cases (both years combined) were discontinued as applicants left the country mostly right after registration. As applications dropped in 2024, Austria was no longer the EU member state with the most discontinued cases: only 3,255 cases were discontinued (see Registration of the asylum application).
• Length of procedures and pending cases: In 2024 the average duration of the asylum procedure at first instance increased again to 7.8 months, compared to 5.5. in 2023, 3.5 months in 2022 and 3.2 months in 2021. This was also reflected in the number of complaints lodged before the Austrian Ombudsperson on the matter: in 2024, 1,000 persons lodged a complaint against the asylum authority (BFA), out of which 929 were about the length of a procedure under the asylum act (Asylgesetz). 771 complaints regarding the length of a procedure were deemed justified. At the end of 2024, 29,366 (2023: 38,053) cases were pending, out of which 17,254 (2023: 29,636) at first instance and 12,112 (2023: 8,417) at second instance. The second instance backlog increased by 43% in comparison to 2023 (see Regular procedure).
• Legal counselling: In 2023, the Austrian Constitutional Court partially annulled the Federal Agency for Care and Support Services Act (BBU-G) on constitutional grounds, prompting a necessary legislative amendment. As a result of this revision, several key functions of the Federal Agency for Care and Support Services (BBU), particularly concerning its independence in providing legal counselling, were explicitly enshrined in law in 2024. While these changes undoubtedly represent improvements, fundamental concerns persist regarding the structural contradiction of a state-run legal advisory body assisting refugees in challenging decisions made by the very authority to which it is institutionally subordinate (see Legal assistance).
• Dublin procedures: 7,186 incoming Dublin requests and 1,511 transfers by other member states to Austria were registered in 2024. 59% of transfers came from Germany, 11% from Switzerland and 11% from France. In the same timeframe, 4,898 outgoing Dublin requests were sent to other states by Austria and 1,184 persons were transferred. The main recipient countries were Germany (25%), Croatia (24%) and Bulgaria (11%) (see Dublin).
• CJEU judgment on international protection status for Afghan women: The CJEU judgement C-608/22 of October 2024 concerning Afghan women – ruling that Afghan women are persecuted by the Taliban on account of their gender and are therefore at a general risk of persecution – did not have a significant impact on the practice of Austrian authorities. The Austrian authorities announced that they would keep on examining the circumstances in individual cases. The decision has not led to more arrivals of Afghan women in Austria, but has led to a higher number of subsequent applications at the end of the year (see Differential treatment of specific nationalities in the procedure)

Reception conditions

• Reception centres: At the end of 2024, only 10 (compared to 21 in 2023) Federal Basic Care facilities with a maximum capacity of 3,831 were in use. In the whole Basic Care system around 68,000 people were accommodated, of which more than half were refugees from Ukraine under the TPD regime. The rest of them were decommissioned, rather than closed, to open them back up more easily in case of an increase in applications. At the end of 2024, only 14,000 asylum applicants were accommodated in the Basic Care System with around 10% (1,430) in Federal Basic Care facilities, mainly in Traiskirchen (785). This is the lowest number of applicants in the Basic Care System in the last 10 years in Austria (see Types of accommodation).
• Distribution across the country: The distribution of asylum applicants in the Basic Care System among the provinces remained unbalanced in 2024. While Vienna overfulfilled its quota by 207%, other provinces such as Carinthia or Salzburg only reached 50% of their quota (see Freedom of movement).
• Increase in maximum cost rates for vulnerable groups: In September 2023, there was a conference of the regional refugee councils where it was decided to increase the maximum cost rates for vulnerable groups. An agreement with the Ministry of the Interior was reached in June 2024, and so, in July 2024, the increase was finally implemented. Publication in the Federal Law Gazette took place in January 2025. A retroactive increase is possible from 1 January 2024, the exact implementation and date from when the retroactive increase takes effect depends on the respective federal state (see Reception Conditions).
• Benefits-in-kind card (Sachleistungskarte): the benefits-in-kind card, to replace cash, started being introduced in 2024, first in Upper Austria. Applicants assigned to a federal BBU facility in Upper Austria received a benefits card on which their pocket money is paid. They took it with them whenever they were assigned to basic care facilities of the province of Upper Austria, and received further financial benefits on it via the accommodation provider. Cash withdrawals are possible up to a maximum amount of € 40, as well as payment in supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. In June 2024, Lower Austria introduced its own ‘payment card’ project with Pluxee. No cash withdrawals are possible with this model; instead, asylum applicants receive €40/month in cash per person at the beginning of the month. The food allowance is charged to the Pluxee card. The project involves a high administrative effort, as cash payment continues and the Pluxee card is used as well. The Pluxee card is not a debit card, so purchases in pharmacies, at ÖBB vending machines, in social markets, at markets in general or in second-hand shops are not possible. The pluxee card was rolled out to the entire province of Lower Austria from September 2024 (see Forms and levels of material reception conditions).
• Extension of the scope of activities for charitable work available to asylum applicants: The ordinance on the utilisation of asylum seekers and certain other foreigners for charitable aid activities came into force on 15 July 2024. It extends the scope of activities considered for charitable work, which is welcomed in principle by NGOs. Asylum applicants are not only able to carry out charitable aid work in municipalities,  but also in other non-profit organisations (e.g. NGOs, nursing homes, etc.). In the exchange meetings, representatives of the NGOs reported that the payment for non-profit work varies. In federal organisations it is € 1.60 / hour, in the federal states it varies between € 3-5 Euros (see Access to the labour market)
• Additional grounds for reduction of allowance while in Federal Basic Care: however, this extension, in federal institutions, was linked to an obligation to carry out these charitable work activities at least 10 hours per month. Exceptions have been foreseen, fore people with visible infirmity or proven illnesses. All other asylum seekers who do not fulfil this obligation will only receive half of the pocket money allowance. Moreover, in June 2024, mandatory basic courses (focused on democracy, the rule of law and freedoms, equal rights, culture and manners, rights and duties as well as sensitisation to forms of antisemitism) were introduced for asylum seekers in federal accommodation centres. Anyone who refuses to take part in these courses will only receive half of the € 40 pocket money instead. Stakeholders dispute the legality of both of these obligations as according to the 15a Basic welfare support agreement, on the one hand charitable work is only possible with the consent of the asylum applicant, and on the other hand nothing is foreseen regarding the mandatory basic courses.  In both cases an amendment to the house rules for federal accommodation was made to provide for the possibility to reduce the allowance (see Reduction or withdrawal of reception conditions).

Detention of asylum seekers

• Detention statistics: A total of 3,591 people were detained on immigration-related grounds throughout 2024 but there is no public data available on how many of them were asylum seekers or how many persons applied for asylum during detention. During 2024, 4 unaccompanied minors were held in detention. In 2024, in 295 cases alternatives to detention were applied (see Detention of Asylum Seekers).
• Detention in view of Dublin transfer to Italy despite the lack of transfers since end of 2022: In 2024 397 take charge and 327 take back requests were sent to Italy. In a letter from December 2022, Italy announced that due to technical reasons no Dublin returnees would be taken back from other countries. This did not change in 2024 and no Dublin returns were completed. Decisions on transfers were however still being made by the authorities, but could not be implemented. As of December 2024, applicants with Dublin decisions towards Italy were kept in detention as the BFA assumed that Italy would change its policy of not taking back Dublin returnees. In 2024, like in 2023, they were released after a short time as Italy did not change its policy in 2024 (see Grounds for detention).
• Deportations: Like in the previous years, around 70% of the 5,800 deported persons were nationals of EU member states and had no connection with the asylum system. In 2024, two UAM were deported to Türkiye.

Content of international protection

• Withdrawal of status: After the fall of the Assad regime in December, all asylum procedures of Syrian nationals were suspended. The ministry of Interior announced that it would start planning deportation programs, which sparked fear among BIPs. Until the end of 2024, more than 500 withdrawal procedures were initiated because of alleged improvement of the situation in Syria. By end of March, there were more than 6,000 withdrawal procedures pending at first instance, most of them concerning Syrian nationals (see Cessation and review of protection status).
• Family reunification: In 2023 and 2024, approx. 7,000-9,000 applicants respectively arrived in Austria through family reunification. In January 2024 the number of applications for family reunification peaked with more than 700 applications per week. In the spring of 2024, the Ministry of Interior announced that it would scale up DNA tests and that all entry visas would be revoked and re-checked. Family reunifications that had already been approved were cancelled and were re-examined. Many families were affected, including some where the flight tickets had already been purchased. Granting of visas for family reunification resumed from August/September 2024. This policy led to a sharp decrease in people entering the country through family reunification and increased the average procedural time massively. In 2025, the average time between application for visa at the embassy and actual entry into Austria was more than 16 months. Upon request the Ministry could not present data as to how many cases led to a different result in re-examination than the original examination. In parallel, due to a change in caselaw on Syria and the fall of the Assad regime, family reunification dropped significantly at the end of 2024. Visas that had already been issued for families of BIPs from Syrian were revoked by the authorities and all cases of family reunification re-examined yet again. Moreover, the BFA started to initiate withdrawal procedures for Syrian BIPs in Austria (the mere initiation of such a procedure entails a refusal of any family reunification application related to the BIP). In March 2025, the government announced the implementation of a temporary suspension of all family reunifications, arguing that there is an emergency situation for public order or national security (Art 72). Several NGOs criticised this move as unlawful under EU law, counterproductive to integration efforts, and a clear violation of the rights of refugees (see Family reunification).
• Access to education and the labour market for youth: access to education for asylum applicants older than 15 may be difficult due to a variety of factors. In 2024, the labour market service launched the youth college together with the city of Vienna. This is an educational opportunity for young people and young adults aged 15-25 and is primarily intended to support those who are no longer subject to compulsory schooling. It also has the effect that this educational measure provides a daily structure and gives prospects for future jobs or studies (see Access to education).

Temporary protection

The information given hereafter constitute a short summary of the 2024 Report on Temporary Protection, for further information, see Annex on Temporary Protection.

Temporary protection procedure

• Key temporary protection statistics: Since 2022, around 125,000 persons have registered as beneficiaries of temporary protection in Austria. As of January 2025, around 78,000 Ukrainian nationals (2024: 70,000) that entered Austria after the start of the Russian invasion were registered in the Central Register of Residence. 37,000 (2024: 40,000) received support via Basic care. Throughout the whole year 2024, between 1,000-1,600 new Ukrainian nationals arrived per month in Austria.

Content of temporary protection

• Residence prospect for displaced persons: Since October 2024 beneficiaries of temporary protection can apply for the residence status Red-White-Red-Card-Plus. Due to the conditions (income threshold) to be fulfilled, only a very small number of persons can benefit from this possibility. As of January 2025, around 1,000 beneficiaries have been granted the residence status.
• Social benefits – family allowance and childcare subsidies: access to family allowance and childcare subsidies was extended for a half year until October 2025 only. It is not certain whether it will be extended any further.
• Social benefits – Basic care: access to full basic care was restricted by the administrative authorities. Notably, the practice whereby Ukrainian beneficiaries could receive basic care assistance while owning a car is no longer applied. In 2024, the authorities took Ukrainian pension benefits received by beneficiaries into full account, resulting in a deduction in basic care payments in Austria and repayment claims.