Syrian deported: disappeared after returning home!

Syrian deported: disappeared after returning home!

Istanbul, Türkei - A Syrian deported from Austria has disappeared without a trace. The 32-year-old, who was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Salzburg Regional Court in early July 2025 for participating in the "Islamic State" terrorist militia, was last spotted after the deportation at a stopover in Istanbul. From this point there are no further reports about his whereabouts. Even his sister could not make contact with him, and the Austrian authorities suspect that he was taken into custody.

The Ministry of the Interior confirmed the handover of the man to the Syrian authorities, but announced no surgical details on the deportations. This deportation was the first to Syria for 15 years and represents a turning point in Austrian asylum policy. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) described the measure as part of a hard asylum policy, which also included a visit to Syria in order to speak to the new rulers about return and deportation. The deportation, which was originally supposed to be canceled due to the closed airspace over Syria, was finally carried out during a line flight from Istanbul to Damascus.

background for deportation

The decision to deport the Syrian was made long before his actual departure. In February 2019, he was revoked as a asylum status and a return decision was issued with an unlimited entry ban. Due to the situation in Syria at the time, the deportation was initially declared inadmissible.

In December 2024, the man was released after serving his punishment. He then made a second asylum application that was rejected in April 2025. After a criminal offense in March 2025, the authorities were again in custody and sentenced to a two-month imprisonment in May 2025. After serving this punishment, he was finally taken into account, which initiated the preparations for the deportation.

relevance in the asylum debate

The deportation of the Syrian raises questions about current asylum policy. Experts emphasize the need to protect human rights. In another case, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) declared the deportation of a refugee to be illegal due to the inadequate conditions in the target country. This increases the discussion about compliance with human rights obligations in the context of deportations and repatriations in Europe.

Austria is the first European country to officially deported a Syrian offender to Syria. So far, around 350 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their home country since the Assad Regime falls, while the return of the deported man has remained particularly sensitive due to the circumstances of his release and the ongoing conflicts in Syria.