The number of people who have been granted asylum in Austria and want to bring their relatives with them has risen sharply in recent years. Family reunification brings challenges, especially in local schools.
In the context of family reunification, 845 asylum applications were submitted in the first month of the year, considerably more than in previous years. In January 2023 there were 421, in the first month of 2022 only 310. This is evident from a question answer from the Ministry of the Interior to FPÖ MP Hannes Amesbauer.
The vast majority of applications come from people from Syria
Of the applications in January 2024, the vast majority (92.5 percent) came from family members from Syria – namely 782 out of a total of 845. In 2023 as a whole, more than 89 percent of the corresponding applications came from Syrians, the figure in 2022 was 79 percent.
Regarding the age of applicants, last year, out of a total of 9,180 people, 3,482 were children between zero and six years old. There were 2,282 applicants aged seven to thirteen. More than 18 there were approximately 2,800.
It is striking that last year the number of applications increased towards the end of the year. While there were only 421 in January, the number rose to a monthly high of 1,181 in October.
According to the Asylum Act, family members are:
- Parent of a minor child who has been granted subsidiary protection or asylum status.
- Spouse of a foreigner with residence status (subsidiary protection or asylum)
- Minor unmarried child of a foreigner with residence status (subsidiary protection or asylum)
There must already be a marriage before the person entitled to subsidiary protection or asylum enters the country. The same applies to registered partnerships.
Entry permits can be applied for at the embassy abroad
If a foreigner has been granted asylum status in Austria, family members can apply for an entry permit within three months from an Austrian representative authority abroad. If this is granted, they can travel to Austria to apply for asylum in the family procedure and receive the same protection status as their caregiver. If the application is not submitted until after three months, you must also provide proof of sufficient housing, health insurance and sufficient income.
Family members of persons entitled to subsidiary protection can apply for an entry permit in the context of family reunification three years after granting and must also demonstrate that they have adequate housing, health insurance and sufficient income.
More than 1,200 entry permits in January
In any case, interest in it remains high. In January, there were 1,206 entry permits for family reunification, according to responses to the question.
Source: Krone
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