Vienna [Austria], January 25 (ANI/WAM): The number of asylum applications submitted in Austria fell by 36 per cent year-on-year in 2025, reaching 16,284 applications.

Afghan nationals topped the list of asylum applicants, followed by Syrians. According to the latest official data, the Austrian authorities approved asylum or subsidiary protection for 11,384 cases, in addition to granting 1,315 humanitarian residence permits.

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Austria's Federal Minister for the Interior, Gerhard Karner, revealed that deportations and returns of offenders recorded a new record last year, totalling 14,156 cases.

Karner said Austria will in the future focus on establishing "return centres" to receive and process asylum applications and procedures outside the European Union.

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He explained that a working group comprising Austria, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Greece will work to achieve this goal, describing the implementation of the new European Migration Pact, which enters into force on 12th June, as a "major challenge" for 2026. (ANI/WAM)

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