Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced at a press conference on Wednesday that there were 3,080 “voluntary departures” and 3,473 “forced removals” of foreigners, totaling 6,553 deportations. This marks a six percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Karner says this is the highest figure since establishing the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) in 2014. The Ministry reports that 44 percent of those forcibly deported had at least one criminal conviction.
The Minister emphasized a tough stance: “If someone is a criminal, they must be deported.” He highlighted that the authorities aim to maintain a credible, fair, and strict asylum policy. While calling for deportations is important, Karner stressed that carrying them out is even more crucial.
The Interior Ministry reported that 1,500 people voluntarily left Austria in the first half of the year by evading the asylum process. From January to the end of June 2024, 19,000 asylum applicants received legally binding negative decisions. “The numbers show we are on a good and right path,” said Karner. “But we still have much to do on this path.”
Karner also spoke about making “asylum abuse” less appealing, stating, “The best deportation is the one that doesn’t have to be carried out.” This is achieved through border checks and controls in border areas. For instance, Operation Fox at the Austrian-Hungarian border has effectively reduced illegal border crossings from 14,068 in the first half of 2023 to just 498 this year, a 97 percent decrease. So far this year, 117 human smugglers have been arrested, compared to 343 last year.
Syrian and Afghan nationals are also being deported, though only to third countries. “We need to discuss direct deportations to these countries as well,” Karner urged.
Karner expressed support for Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler’s initiative to tighten asylum exclusion grounds and “further develop” the Geneva Refugee Convention by focusing on its core principle of protecting people in their immediate neighborhood.
BFA Deputy Director Karoline Preißer highlighted that deportations rely on cooperation with Frontex, the European border agency. The priority is on criminal offenders, with around 60 percent of cases being revoked due to criminal activity.