Author
Asylum statistics are published on a monthly basis by the Ministry of Interior, providing information on asylum applicants and main nationalities. As of 2016, these monthly reports also provide decisions at first and second instance.[1] The Federal Agency for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) also publishes short annual statistical overviews (Jahresbilanzen).[2]
Applications and granting of protection status at first and second instance: figures for 2023
| Applicants in 2023 (2) | Pending at
end of 2023 |
Total decisions in 2023 (3) | Total other decisions (4) | Rejection on asylum (5) | Refugee status | Subsidiary protection | Humanitarian protection (6) | |
| Total | 59,232 | 38,053 | 120,216 | 31,066 | 26,941 | 17,293 | 8,222 | 559 |
| Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers | ||||||||
| Syria | 21,409 | 17,740 | 21,418 | 2,889 | 5,406 | 12,768 | 5,394 | Not available |
| Afghanistan | 8,567 | 4,723 | 11,965 | 7,972 | 2,319 | 1,647 | 1,268 | Not available |
| Türkiye | 7,769 | 4,516 | 6,502 | 5,647 | 731 | 97 | 14 | Not available |
| Morocco | 6,948 | 1,086 | 9,766 | 2,626 | 7,130 | 10 | 5 | Not available |
| Pakistan | 1,493 | 347 | 3,060 | 1,352 | 1,679 | 29 | 1 | Not available |
| Somalia | 1,469 | 2,459 | 1,280 | 90 | 579 | 611 | 714 | Not available |
| Bangladesh | 1,431 | 251 | 1,623 | 456 | 1,143 | 24 | 1 | Not available |
| India | 1,329 | 660 | 8,215 | 5,502 | 2,713 | 0 | 4 | Not available |
| Egypt | 1,234 | 267 | 1,346 | 829 | 498 | 19 | 5 | Not available |
| Russian Federation | 1,082 | 895 | 987 | 125 | 600 | 262 | 33 | Not available |
Source: Ministry of Interior, Annual Asylum Statistics 2023, available in German at: https://shorturl.at/uVl2h
Note 1: statistics on applicants and pending concern people, including children and dependents. The rest of the columns concern number of decisions as that is usually the (only) data available.
Note 2: “Applicants in year” refers to the total number of applicants, and not only to first-time applicants.
Note 3: Statistics on decisions cover the decisions taken throughout the year, regardless of whether they concern applications lodged that year or in previous years. This number also includes formal decisions. Please note that in Austria, asylum (refugee status) and subsidiary protection decisions are counted separately.
Note 4: this includes especially formal decisions taken on discontinued cases due to onward travel to other countries.
Note 5: these include all negative decisions on refugee status only, as the data on negative decisions on humanitarian protection are not differentiated between those who had previously applied for asylum and those who applied for humanitarian status independently of any asylum procedure.
Note 6: If the application for asylum and subsidiary protection are rejected, the authority has to examine whether a return decision is to be issued. In this examination the authority has to evaluate whether a return decision would disproportionately infringe upon the person’s the right to private and family life (Art 8 ECHR). If the interest of the applicant outweighs the interest of the state to uphold the asylum and aliens’ law system, the state has to issue a status called “Aufenthaltstitel aus Gründen des Art 8 EMRK” (Art 55 AsylG – residence permit on reasons based on Art 8 ECHR). The authority also has to examine whether the applicant has the right to get a status “Aufenthaltsberechtigung besonderer Schutz” (Art 57 AsylG – residence right special protection). This is to be issued in case the applicant e.g. was a witness or victim of human trafficking.
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: rates for 2023
| Protection rate (3) (4) | Refugee rate (3) | Subsidiary
protection rate (3) |
Humanitarian
protection rate (3) |
Rejection rate (3) | |
| Total | 64% | 41% | 23% | 0.5% | 36% |
|
Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers
|
|||||
| Syria | 99% | 66% | 34% | 0% | 0.6% |
| Afghanistan | 95% | 51% | 44% | 0.1% | 5% |
| Morocco | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0% | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| India | 0.9% | 0% | 0.1% | 0.8% | 99% |
| Türkiye | 9% | 7% | 1% | 0.6% | 91% |
| Pakistan | 3% | 2% | 0% | 1% | 97% |
| Tunisia | 2% | 1% | 1% | 0.3% | 98% |
| Somalia | 82% | 36% | 46% | 0.2% | 18% |
| Bangladesh | 6% | 3% | 0% | 2% | 94% |
| Russian Federation | 58% | 45% | 4% | 8% | 42% |
|
|
Overall protection rate (1) | Overall rate
other decisions (2) |
Overall rejection rate (1) |
| Total | 29% | 40% | 31% |
|
Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers
|
|||
| Syria | 71% | 12% | 16% |
| Afghanistan | 22% | 64% | 14% |
| Morocco | 0.2% | 27% | 72% |
| India | 0.2% | 70% | 29% |
| Türkiye | 1% | 82% | 17% |
| Pakistan | 1% | 46% | 52% |
| Tunisia | 1% | 65% | 34% |
| Somalia | 72% | 6% | 22% |
| Bangladesh | 1% | 29% | 70% |
| Russian Federation | 27% | 10% | 63% |
Source of the percentages: calculated by the author based on the raw data available from the authorities.
Note 1: These are calculated against total decisions, including formal decisions taken on discontinued cases, due to onward travel to other countries.
Note 2: these include all decisions taken in protection cases that are neither rejection decisions nor protection decisions, and especially include formal decisions taken on discontinued cases, due to onward travel to other countries.
Note 3: These are calculated excluding formal decisions taken in discontinued cases.
Note 4: These rates include humanitarian protection.
Rejections vs returns
Rejection only refers to negative decisions concerning asylum (refugee status). This does not lead to the conclusion that in all rejected cases a return decision was issued or that no other status was issued, as illustrated below. Please note that return decisions concern all third country nationals, not only rejected asylum seekers, and may concern rejected asylum seekers of previous years.
| All rejections on asylum (incl. Dublin) | Return decisions | |
| Total | 26,941 | 18,195 |
| Syria | 5,406 | 115 |
| Afghanistan | 2,319 | 105 |
| Turkey | 731 | 1,750 |
| Morocco | 7,310 | 5,720 |
| Pakistan | 1,679 | 1,365 |
| Somalia | 579 | 270 |
| Bangladesh | 1,143 | 575 |
| India | 2,713 | 2,150 |
| Egypt | 498 | 505 |
| Russian Federation | 600 | 295 |
Source: Ministry of Interior Annual statistics 2023; for return decisions, Eurostat, ‘Third country nationals ordered to leave – annual data (rounded)’, updated 03 May 2024.
Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2023
| Adults | Children | ||
| Accompanied | Unaccompanied | ||
| Number | 39,274 | 15,012 | 4,946 |
| Percentage | 66% | 26% | 8% |
| Men | Women | |
| Number | 45,219 | 14,013 |
| Percentage | 76.3% | 23.7% |
Source: Ministry of Interior, Annual statistics 2023, available in German at: https://shorturl.at/jrHS8.
First instance and appeal decision rates: 2023
| First instance | Appeal | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of decisions | 78,741 | 100% | 6,205 | 100% |
| Positive decisions | 23,178 | 29.43% | 3,655 | 58.9% |
|
14,748 | 18.73% | 2,896 | 46.7% |
|
8,260 | 10.49% | 370 | 6.0% |
|
170 | 0.2% | 389 | 6.2% |
| Negative decisions on asylum (2) | 24,391 | 30.98% | 2,550 | 41.1% |
|
11,210 | 14.24% | N/A | – |
|
13,181 | 16.74% | N/A | – |
| Other (e.g. discontinued cases) | 31,172 | 39.59% | N/A | – |
Source: Ministry of Interior, Detailed Statistics of BFA 2023, available at: https://shorturl.at/fLTW4.
Note 1: In every asylum procedure the authority has to examine whether a return decision can be issued in case of a negative decision concerning asylum and subsidiary protection. In this examination it has to evaluate whether a return decision would infringe the right to private and family life guaranteed by Art 8 ECHR in a disproportionate manner. In case of an excessive infringement the authority will issue a decision that a return decision is not permitted and a status of humanitarian protection. It is examined automatically, no application is needed.
Note 2: Rejection only refers to negative decisions concerning refugee status. This does not lead to the conclusion that in all rejected cases a return decision was issued or that no other status was issued.
Note 3: Negative decisions based on ‘formal reasons’ include decisions in Dublin cases and cases in which there is no examination on merits because of protection granted by another EU Member State or because of adjudicated case (res judicata).
[1] Ministry of Interior, Asylum Statistics December – preliminary statistics, available in German at: https://bit.ly/3wEfXVF.
[2] BFA, Statistics, available in German at: http://bit.ly/1XKnnsy. These have been published since 2014.