The number of asylum applications in Austria fell by one third in the first quarter. With 4,644 claims, this represents a 33 percent decrease compared to the first three months of 2024. March, with 1,329 applications, was the weakest month since July 2020. Notably, only about one in three applications are first‑time requests.

The remainder are typically follow‑up applications—requests for a higher status (from subsidiary protection to full asylum), asylum for children born in Austria, or family reunification. This pattern is especially pronounced among Afghan nationals: of 504 applications, only 93 are new. This reflects an EU Court of Justice ruling that individual procedures are not required for Afghan women, so many in Austria who previously held subsidiary protection now apply for full asylum.

Among Syrians, follow‑up applications also outnumber new ones (268 vs. 58). Austria continues to accept Syrian claims but generally does not process them while the political situation in Damascus remains unclear. Family reunification is set to be suspended by law for at least a year. More than half of this year’s applications have come from minors.

Currently there are 12,918 open cases for Syrians, followed by 4,112 for Afghans—a total of nearly 15,300 pending procedures.

Asylum was granted in the first quarter in 2,120 cases, 451 people received subsidiary protection, and 299 were granted humanitarian residence. Afghans were by far the largest group to receive residency permits—nearly 1,500 asylum statuses—while only 77 Syrians were granted asylum.

Applications also fell across the EU, with 210,641 claims lodged by end‑March—a 19 percent drop. Only Poland, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Belgium saw increases. Adjusted for population, Austria now ranks tenth in Europe.

Basic care remains heavily used: in early April more than 65,000 people were receiving support—about 3,000 fewer than at the start of the year. Fifty‑five percent of those in care are displaced Ukrainians.