Austria has deported a Syrian man convicted of a crime, becoming the first European Union country to forcibly return a Syrian national to Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, according to EU officials. The deportation, carried out on Thursday (July 3), has sparked concern from rights groups who warn it could set a precedent amid surging anti-migration sentiments across Europe.

The 32-year-old man, who has been deported was granted asylum in Austria in 2014, but lost this refugee status in 2019 due to a criminal conviction. Though the nature of the conviction was not disclosed, his legal adviser, Ruxandra Staicu, said Austrian and Syrian authorities coordinated his return, which had already been delayed due to airspace closures connected to the Iran-Israel conflict.

Staicu confirmed that her client has filed a new asylum request and is awaiting a decision.

Austria vows to continue deportations

Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner defended the action, saying it was part of a "strict and thus fair asylum policy." Austria is "the first European country to officially deport a Syrian criminal directly to Syria in recent years," he said, and vowed to "continue this chosen path with hard work and determination."

Austria suspended Syrian asylum applications and family reunifications after Assad’s fall, citing improved security conditions. Karner visited Syria with his then German counterpart (Annalena Baerbock) in April to discuss possible deportations. The move comes amid rising anti-migration sentiment and growing support for Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, which topped elections in September but subsequently failed to form a government. 

Will other EU countries follow suit?

Human rights groups strongly oppose the deportation, arguing that Syria remains unsafe. "There are attacks against people, and we have no idea in which direction (Syria) will go," said the deportee's lawyer, Ruxandra Staicu, warning the deportation may violate the European Convention on Human Rights. 

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has stated that no part of Syria is safe for forced returns, due to ongoing violence and humanitarian crises.

Around 90 percent of Syria’s population lives below the poverty line, according to UN estimates.

Austria hosts approximately 100,000 Syrians, one of the largest Syrian communities in Europe.

Since 2015, about 1.68 million Syrians have applied for asylum across the EU, with many initially welcomed during the height of the Syrian civil war.

With Reuters and AFP