Austria has reached a turning point in its migration statistics: for the first time since records began in 2002, the number of people deported from the country exceeds the number of new asylum applications. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced the milestone at a press briefing on 19 June 2026, citing fresh data compiled after the EU’s new Return Regulation entered into force on 12 June. According to figures reported by Kronen Zeitung, an average of 40 individuals are currently removed from Austria every day—ten of them convicted criminals—while daily asylum registrations have fallen to 35. Karner called the development “proof that tough return enforcement works” and credited charter flights organised under the EU-funded “Joint Return Operations” scheme. Recent flights carried, among others, six Nigerian nationals convicted of violent offences back to Lagos. Several policy levers lie behind the reversal. First, Austria has prolonged internal border controls with Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia until mid-September, filtering secondary movements along the Balkan Route. Second, the Federal Agency BBU has been given new powers to detain absconders for up to 28 days under the amended Aliens Police Act. Third, the Vienna Appeals Court has fast-tracked judicial review of negative asylum decisions, cutting average case time from 14 to 9 months. For employers, the headline figures reinforce the importance of compliant residence status for third-country nationals. Authorities have stepped up workplace inspections—particularly in construction and logistics—to detect overstays and visa fraud. Companies sponsoring Red-White-Red or EU Blue Cards should keep digital copies of employment contracts and pay slips readily available; failure to cooperate can now trigger administrative fines of up to €50,000. Human-rights NGOs warn that the numbers hide growing bottlenecks in legal-migration channels. The Austrian Red Cross says demand for humanitarian admission by Ukrainians and Afghans still outstrips quotas, and urges the government to expand labour-migration pathways to prevent irregular entries.
Source: Kronen Zeitung
