Austria offers €1,000 to Syrian refugees for voluntary return after Assad's fall, citing Syria's need for rebuilding. Forced deportations remain on hold as the situation is reassessed.
Austria's conservative government announced it would offer Syrian refugees a "return bonus" of €1,000 ($1,050) to encourage voluntary repatriation following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer, responding to Assad's overthrow, stated that Syria's security situation must be reassessed to potentially allow deportations, though forced removals remain on hold until the country's future becomes clearer.
For now, Austria has halted asylum applications for Syrians, focusing on voluntary returns, a move mirrored by over a dozen European nations. Syrians are the largest asylum-seeker group in Austria, where Nehammer faces pressure from far-right rivals advocating stricter immigration policies.
In a post on X, Nehammer emphasized Austria's support for Syrians willing to return, saying, "The country needs its citizens to rebuild."
However, with Austrian Airlines suspending Middle East flights, the €1,000 bonus may not fully cover travel costs, such as a one-way ticket to Beirut, which currently exceeds €1,060 on Turkish Airlines.
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party recently won 29% of the vote in parliamentary elections, but a lack of coalition partners left Nehammer negotiating with Social Democrats and liberal Neos to form a government.
The new Austrian Government has discontinued the reunification of family members for asylum claimants in the country with immediate effect citing widespread concerns on immigration.
Coalition of conservative, social democratic, and liberal parties prevents far right from governing
Austria's three top centrist parties in parliament have reached a deal to form a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) and plan to present it later on Thursday, five months after the FPO won the last parliamentary election.
Villach, Austria—A 14-year-old boy was killed and four others critically injured in a knife attack, with police detaining a Syrian asylum seeker
Alexander Schallenberg will serve as Austria's interim leader after Chancellor Karl Nehammer's resignation, as the far-right Freedom Party begins efforts to form a coalition government.
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South Korea’s top court will decide on Friday whether to remove or reinstate President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose brief martial law order sparked the country’s biggest political crisis in years.
The Pentagon’s internal debate over restructuring key military commands — including potentially ending the U.S. monopoly over NATO’s top post — has raised red flags among generals and lawmakers alike, amid growing unease in Europe.
President Trump’s new tariffs hit 185 countries, with Kazakhstan facing the highest rate at 27%. Kazakhstan now seeks talks with U.S. officials to ease the impact.
The U.S. has pressured Lebanon to act against Hezbollah, urging the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to enforce a ceasefire. The LAF, caught between U.S. demands and Hezbollah’s influence, risks losing vital U.S. support if it fails to act.
U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher is set to visit Myanmar on Friday, following the country’s devastating earthquake. The U.N. is urging for urgent international assistance and unhindered aid access as the region grapples with the aftermath of the disaster.
South Korea’s top court will decide on Friday whether to remove or reinstate President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose brief martial law order sparked the country’s biggest political crisis in years.
The Pentagon’s internal debate over restructuring key military commands — including potentially ending the U.S. monopoly over NATO’s top post — has raised red flags among generals and lawmakers alike, amid growing unease in Europe.
President Trump’s new tariffs hit 185 countries, with Kazakhstan facing the highest rate at 27%. Kazakhstan now seeks talks with U.S. officials to ease the impact.
The U.S. has pressured Lebanon to act against Hezbollah, urging the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to enforce a ceasefire. The LAF, caught between U.S. demands and Hezbollah’s influence, risks losing vital U.S. support if it fails to act.
U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher is set to visit Myanmar on Friday, following the country’s devastating earthquake. The U.N. is urging for urgent international assistance and unhindered aid access as the region grapples with the aftermath of the disaster.
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