Austria put in place quotas for refugee family reunification today, as part of changes to tighten migration policy as it implements the EU’s new pact.
The conservative-led government last July imposed a freeze on refugees bringing family members to the country, drawing criticism from rights activists.
Austria’s parliament adopted wide-ranging legislative changes to tighten asylum policy, including introducing quotas for family reunification from July.
The quotas are based on the country’s reception capacity, with the government saying that they could be “very low”.
The government has said that more than 17,000 people, mainly children from Syria, entered Austria in 2023-2024 through family reunion procedures.
The interior ministry argued when the freeze was imposed that the migrant numbers were a burden on public services and a “threat” to public order in the country of 9.2 million people.
Asylum application slumped last year.
Austria is among those pushing for stricter migration policy in the EU, including pushing for “return hubs” outside of the bloc for rejected asylum seekers.
