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Austria Deports First Syrian Convict Since Assad’s Fall

Austria’s interior minister has announced plans for further returns to Damascus, prompting rights groups to caution that other EU states may follow suit.

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Overview

  • On July 3, Austria deported a 32-year-old Syrian man convicted in 2018, marking the first EU removal to Syria since Assad’s fall.
  • Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the action embodies a hard but fair asylum policy and signaled that further deportations to Syria are in preparation.
  • Austrian and Syrian officials reached agreement on the return last week, though airspace closures over the Iran-Israel conflict delayed the flight.
  • In December 2024, Austria suspended all Syrian asylum applications and initiated revocations of refugee status for about 2,900 Syrians with criminal convictions.
  • Rights groups warn that Austria’s resumption of returns to Damascus could set a precedent for other EU countries and weaken protections for vulnerable refugees.