Austria offers €1,000 bonus for Syrian refugees to return home

Austria’s conservative-led government announced on Friday a new policy offering Syrian refugees a €1,000 ($1,050) “return bonus” to encourage voluntary repatriation following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer, leader of the conservative People’s Party, swiftly reacted to Assad’s overthrow on Sunday by calling for a reassessment of Syria’s security situation.

“Austria will support Syrians who wish to return to their home country with a return bonus of 1,000 euros. The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt,” Nehammer stated in an English-language post on X.

While Austria’s government has temporarily halted processing asylum applications for Syrians, it has clarified that forced deportations are not currently viable. Officials say they will prioritize voluntary returns until the political future of Syria becomes clearer. Austria’s move aligns with similar measures taken by over a dozen European countries.

Syrians remain the largest group of asylum-seekers in Austria, an EU member state, placing Nehammer under increasing pressure from the far-right Freedom Party.

The party recently secured 29% of the vote in September’s parliamentary election, leaving conservatives and their rivals vying for tough immigration policies.

The €1,000 bonus may fall short of covering travel expenses for refugees seeking to return. With Austrian Airlines suspending flights to the Middle East due to ongoing instability, a one-way ticket to Beirut—a common entry point for overland travel to Damascus—currently costs at least €1,066.10 ($1,120.58), according to Turkish Airlines.

Nehammer, now leading coalition talks with the Social Democrats and liberal Neos, faces mounting political challenges.

His handling of immigration policy, particularly regarding Syrian refugees, is seen as a key test for his government as it seeks to balance humanitarian concerns with domestic political pressures.