Annual Reports

The Annual Policy Report 2006 provides an overview of migration and asylum-related developments and debates in Austria. The main focus of the policy debates was the new Aliens’ Law Package, the Aliens’ Police Act and the new Asylum Act, which entered into force on 1 January 2006. An important legislative development was the amendment of the Citizenship Act, which laid down new rules concerning the required periods of residence for naturalisations. Also, tests on applied geography were introduced. Another important aspect was the amendment of the Criminal Law, introducing more severe laws concerning forced marriages and female genital mutilation.

The National Report analyses the trends and changes in Austrian asylum and migration statistics for the year 2006. The report highlights that in 2006 the number of asylum applications has continued to decrease since a peak in 2002. Also the trend of decreasing immigration inflows to Austria continued in 2006 and net migration dropped to its lowest level since 2002. Despite these simultaneous decreases, immigration continued to represent the main factor for population growth in Austria. 

The Annual Policy Report 2005 provides an overview of migration and asylum-related developments and debates in Austria. Most dominant were the legislative development, i.e. the adoption of the Aliens’ Law Package, which enters into force on 1 January 2006. Furthermore, the previous system of migration related Acts has been restructured and divided into an Asylum Act, a Settlement and Residence Act as well as an Aliens’ Police Act. These changes were driven by a number of EU Directives, which had to be transposed.

This National Report provides an analysis of the trends and developments in the field of migration, asylum and irregular migration in Austria in the year 2005. The report notes that the year 2005 marks a decrease in immigration by 8 per cent after a constant rise since 2001. However, the net migration remained more or less stable compared to 2004. It is further highlighted that following the EU enlargement in 2004, the share of third-country nationals among the total number of foreigners in Austria decreased by 9 percentage points compared to 2004. The report highlights furthermore that compared to the year 2004 the number of removals decreased by 44 per cent.

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.

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.