Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has rejected calls for the large-scale return of Syrians living in Austria, telling Profil that such a policy is not realistic.

More than 100,000 Syrian nationals live in Austria. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, about 2,000 Syrians have left the country, Karner said.

Austria has offered a €1,000 incentive for voluntary returns. About 1,500 Syrians have accepted the payment, costing the state about €1.5 million so far. In the first quarter of 2026, 270 Syrians returned.

Karner, a member of the Austrian People’s Party, said many Syrians who have lived in Austria for years and have not been convicted of crimes are likely to remain in the country.

Asked about demands from Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl for temporary asylum and “remigration,” Karner told Profil that returning Austria’s Syrian population was “neither realistic nor reasonable,” adding that he wondered how many hospitals would still be cleaned.

Kickl has argued for a stricter distinction between asylum and permanent migration. “Asylum is temporary protection,” he said in an FPÖ statement, adding that it should not be mixed with regular migration.

Karner said the government would focus on deporting convicted criminals after they have served their sentences, while continuing voluntary-return programmes.

The debate has intensified since Assad’s fall renewed pressure on European governments to review Syrian asylum and return policy.