Austria Processed 4,045 Fast-Tracks Decisions so Far This Year, Interior Ministry Says
According to a press release by the authority, the total number of quick decisions recorded since June 2020 has reached 8,325, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
“The asylum system must be available to those who actually need it and must not be weakened by abuse. The asylum system must remain credible – rapid procedures are an important guarantee for this and thwart the marketing of the smuggler mafia,” the Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said.
He also pointed out that Austria is one of the most affected countries by irregular migration, with the second-highest number of asylum seekers recorded per inhabitant.
The top nationalities evident for fast-track applications so far in 2022 are Tunisia (35.5 per cent), Pakistan (23.4 per cent) and India (18.6 per cent), while the remaining relevant nationalities are Moroccans, Egyptians, Algerians and Bangladeshis.
Specific nationalities recorded increasing rates compared to the same period last year, with Tunisians leading the list with 1,520 applications or 40 per cent of all applications lodged coming from asylum seekers of this nationality.
Moreover, this number was up by 1848.7 per cent compared to the previous year, followed by applications filed by Moroccan nationals with 701 applications and Pakistani nationals (760) – applications of which were up by 544.1 per cent compared to the corresponding time last year.
Other honourable mentions include applications from India, which reached 826 – increased by 679.2 per cent compared to the previous year.
The procedures for quick decisions can last between 72 hours and 25 days for applicants who come from safe countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia – which represent 84 per cent of all relevant decisions issued since June 2020.
“Smugglers are trying to take advantage of the Ukraine crisis and the associated refugee movements. They advertise that it has never been easier to get to Europe than it has been since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis. That’s why robust external border protection is needed and internal border controls,” Karner said.
According to data from Statistics Austria, the total international immigration numbers reached 154,202 in 2021, while emigration rates stood at 101,714. Both these rates were up by 13 and 5.6 per cent, respectively, in 2021, even surpassing the pre-pandemic levels for 3,783 cases, while emigrations rates recorded in 2019 were 8,092 higher than in 2021.
As per immigration within Austria, 782,995 people moved within the country, slightly more than in 2021 (1,523) and significantly less than in 2019 when 798,420 people were dislocated.
