Annual Reports

The Annual Policy Report 2004 provides an overview of migration and asylum-related developments and debates in Austria. Main legislative developments took place in the areas of asylum and integration. An amendment to the Asylum Act modified material prerequisites for granting asylum, the asylum procedure and institutional competences. Furthermore, the regulation of assistance to asylum-seekers underwent a change through the conclusion of the Basic Welfare Support Agreement. Both legislative changes entered into force on 1 May 2004. In the area of integration a so-called Integration Agreement was introduced which requires the proof of basic knowledge of German. All of these legislative developments were covered extensively by the Austrian media.

This National Report provides an analysis of the trends and developments in the field of migration, asylum and irregular immigration in Austria in the year 2004. The report notes that the year 2004 marked a new peak in immigration to Austria. Overall, population growth was mainly caused by rising net migration. Although inflows of third-country nationals were quantitatively the largest, immigration from EU Member States gained momentum in 2004. With regard to asylum application the report highlights a decline by 24 per cent in 2004. Also the apprehension of irregular migrants declined (-15%), one of the main reasons being the EU enlargement.

This report presents statistical data on migration and asylum in the EU context in 2003. It highlights that the population of the EU Member States (EU 15) increased by around two million people. Thereby population growth resulted in all Member States from migration. In 2003 a growing number of immigrants came from Latin America, Eastern Europe and the southern neighbouring countries of the EU. It is furthermore stressed that an important fraction of the non-national population originated from refugee movements. Most asylum applications in 2003 were submitted in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

The report provides an overview of patterns and trends in 2002 with respect to migration, asylum and enforcement measures in the 15 EU Member States, the 10 countries which were in the process of acceding to the EU, and four other countries closely associated to the EU (Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria, and Romania). The report highlights that between 2000 and 2002 annual immigration to the EU increased by 11 per cent but that the situation in the Member States varies. The number of asylum applications submitted in the EU 15 increased by 26 percent between 1998 and 2002. Thereby increases were most obvious in Austria (+185%). With regard to irregular migration the report notes that data is rather unreliable and is not comparable.

The report provides an overview of migration, asylum, refusals, apprehension and return in 2001, covering all EU Member States, acceding countries, candidate countries as well as Iceland and Norway. The statistics are organised in 19 overview tables each covering all countries and in a series of factsheets, prepared on a country by country Basis.