Austria’s new government has announced that family reunification procedures will be suspended immediately, following an expert discussion between the Interior and the Integration Ministers.
According to a press release by the Interior Ministry, what has prompted this announcement is the high number of family reunification cases recorded in recent years, with Austria having the second highest per capita burden in the European Union, Schengen.News reports.
Halting family reunification is part of the joint government agreement. Numerous areas, such as the education system, are already under severe strain, but the impact on juvenile delinquency is also noticeable. It is our responsibility to consistently implement the agreed measures.
The Austrian Chancellor, Christian Stocker, noted that the measure would be temporary and that the integration process for people who are currently in the country to be unified with their families will be prioritised.
Although the proposal has to go through the Council of Ministers, it is expected to largely be supported by the policymakers.
Almost 18,000 People Came to Austria for Family Reunification Recently
In the last two years, it is estimated that nearly 18,000 people came to Austria for family reunification, with the majority of them being minors.
Due to the influx of newcomers, especially from Syria and Afghanistan, many institutions in Austria have been burdened, especially educational institutions.
In addition, the new measures are expected to invoke the EU emergency clause, which is applicable to countries dealing with increased risk to their internal security.
This clause was previously discontinued in December 2024 for Syrian nationals, resulting in a decrease in family reunification. As the Interior Ministry reveals, 60 Syrian citizens entered Austria in February.
Number of Asylum Seekers in Austria Is Low Compared to Other EU Countries, Data Reveal
The official data reveal that the number of people arriving in Austria has been decreasing with 7,762 people coming into the country as part of the reunification process. This number is down by 16.1 per cent compared to the 9,254 people that came to the country in 2023.
As per asylum seekers, Austria received around 25,000 in 2024, compared to Germany, which received about 235,925 initial applications for asylum, as DW reports.
Spain ranks second with 165,398 applicants, followed by France (158,512) and Italy (154,824), while Hungary had the lowest figure – only 29 asylum applications were received in 2024.
