Austria freezes refugee family reunification: only 314 arrivals

Austria has all but stopped mass family reunification for migrants: since the procedure was suspended, only 314 people have arrived in the country. Last March, the country froze the process until the end of September this year for those granted asylum, refugees and people with international or subsidiary protection.

The reason is the strain on municipalities, especially schools. In Vienna alone, about 3,200 pupils and students from abroad were added in the 2023/2024 school year, and the children had to be admitted, enrolled and placed in classes, with places, staff and language support provided. In 2024/25, 44.6 percent of first-graders in Vienna needed extra support because of weak German.

At the 2023 peak, 14,031 people applied for entry to Austria and 10,624 received permission. How many of them actually arrived is unclear, but the authorities have since been struggling with a shortage of funds, housing and school places. According to the Interior Ministry, the figure of 314 is no coincidence but the result of a strict assessment of every application.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) said that “low quotas” are needed to protect key areas such as education from renewed overload, and to combat juvenile crime. The restriction applies to those granted protection and to asylum seekers. Regular family reunification still works for citizens of the EU and EEA and for highly qualified workers from third countries, such as holders of the Red-White-Red Card. But this year stricter financial limits apply to them, including a minimum net income of €2,064 for a couple, and a mandatory German A1 exam before arrival.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz