Austria's consistent course: First deportation of criminals to Syria!
Austria's consistent course: First deportation of criminals to Syria!
Syrien, Land - Austria goes on a strict course in the return of deferred Syrians. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) has announced the first deportation of a Syrian citizen from Austria since the wave of refugees in 2015/16. The step marks a turn in the country's asylum policy and was described by Karner as part of a hard and just asylum policy. The 32-year-old man, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for terrorist association in 2018, was handed over to the Syrian authorities. His current whereabouts are unclear, and it could be that he is in custody, reports OE24.
The announcement of the deportation, which was announced on Thursday, is a significant step because Austria states to be the first European country to deport a Syrian directly to Syria. Karner emphasizes that there will be no mass displays, but that the focus is on the deportation of "criminals and endangered". As early as December 2024, the prerequisites for these measures were created as a result of the change of power in Syria, when the Islamistically managed transitional government came to power, according to Kosmo.
cooperation with other EU countries
In the context of these developments, Karner spoke about the planned deportations after a job interview with the Belgian Minister of Migration Anneleen van Bossuyt. Belgium also discusses such a measure, with van Bossuyt finding that there is no place for illegal criminals. The visit served the coordination in front of the upcoming EU Interior Minister in Copenhagen, where dealing with migration and asylum plays a central role. Austria plans to implement the return of migrants from Syria and Afghanistan as the focus of asylum policy. It is expected that other European countries, including Germany, will follow the Austrian example, although this has not yet been officially announced.The Federal Austrian Office for Foreign Affairs and Asylum has developed a return and deportation program that also includes increased return advice. The legal foundations for deportation are based on agreements that were made after a meeting between Karner, the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and the Syrian Minister of the Interior. This new cooperation between the federal states has enabled the authorities to issue back travel documents for offenders and shows the will of the new Syrian government to carry out such returns.
EU-wide challenges
The topic of return is not only the focus in Austria. EU-wide statistics on irregular migration show that in 2023 118,935 people was denied entry into the EU. Mostly due to the lack of valid documents or residence permits. A total of 484,160 return decisions were issued by the EU member states. While the number of returnees has increased significantly, security in the return states such as Syria remains questionable according to human rights organizations. However, the European Court of Human Rights has not imposed a deportation stop, which recognizes the path for national regulations such as in Austria [europarl.europa.eu] (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/de/article/20230704sto02012/ruckfuhrung-der-ne-se--se-eu-eu-eu-eu-eu- von-migranten).
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