"Austria expels convicted criminal to Syria, first such deportation since Assad's fall"

Austria Deports Convicted Syrian Citizen in First Such Case Since Assad’s Fall

Austria has deported a Syrian national with a criminal record to his home country, marking the first such deportation since the collapse of the Assad regime.

"The deportation conducted today reflects a firm yet fair approach to asylum policy," said Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner in a statement.

The 32-year-old man, who was granted asylum in Austria in 2014, had his refugee status revoked in February 2019 due to his criminal history, according to his legal representative, Ruxandra Staicu. She did not disclose details about the conviction.

In April, his asylum request was denied, and he was awaiting a decision on another appeal before his removal.

Following the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, several European nations have advocated for the repatriation of Syrian refugees who fled during the civil war, which displaced 12 million people, including 6 million abroad.

Austria, which hosts around 100,000 Syrians, called for the "orderly return and deportation of refugees to Syria" shortly after Assad was removed from power.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that his government is negotiating with Syria’s new administration to arrange the deportation of criminals of Syrian origin. Germany has taken in nearly one million Syrian refugees since 2015.

This follows Germany’s decision in August to resume deportations of convicted criminals to Afghanistan, three years after halting them due to the Taliban’s takeover.

In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen asserted on Thursday that migrants who commit serious crimes should be expelled from Europe, though she did not reference any specific country. Speaking at a press conference marking the start of Denmark’s six-month EU presidency, she criticized the current asylum system as "flawed," with the effects of "uncontrolled migration" evident in European societies.

"Those who commit serious crimes and reject our values and way of life—they do not belong in Europe. They should be removed," she said, calling for measures to reduce migration flows.

Denmark began revoking residency permits for some Syrians as early as 2021, declaring certain areas of Syria safe for return.

Nearly a decade after the peak of the 2015-16 migration crisis, which saw 1.3 million people seek asylum in Europe, the EU has pursued stricter immigration policies.

The European Commission has proposed expediting the return of individuals ineligible to stay in the EU, including the potential establishment of offshore "return centers" outside Europe.

During the press conference with Frederiksen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed hope for progress on these proposals, including a unified list of safe countries to streamline asylum decisions—potentially speeding up rejections.