Only two weeks after a landmark forced return to Syria, Austria has reiterated its hard-line stance by expelling another convicted Afghan offender in the early hours of Sunday, 25 January. The Interior Ministry confirmed the operation in a press note published at 09:19 CET. Tabloid daily Heute obtained additional details, reporting that the man had six domestic convictions. The transfer route ran via Istanbul to Kabul and was coordinated with Turkish and Afghan authorities under EU Frontex guidelines.
Although individual in scale, the case is symbolically important: Austria had stopped deportations to Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 but resumed “case-by-case” returns of criminal offenders in late 2025. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner framed Sunday’s removal as proof that deportations to both Syria and Afghanistan are shifting “vom Einzelfall zum Regelfall” (from rare exceptions to routine practice).
In this shifting landscape, mobility managers and private travelers alike can benefit from having a knowledgeable partner. VisaHQ offers a real-time portal covering Austrian entry rules, residence formalities and document requirements, and can assist with everything from background-check facilitation to contingency planning for high-risk nationalities. Explore the available services at https://www.visahq.com/austria/.
![Austria Carries Out New Deportation to Afghanistan Under ‘Offensive’ Removal Policy]()
For global-mobility teams the message is clear. Any third-country employee who loses the right of residence following a criminal conviction now faces a realistic prospect of forced return, even to jurisdictions deemed unsafe by many EU partners. Employers should review disciplinary policies, ensure robust legal-compliance training and advise staff that criminal proceedings could jeopardise not just their Austrian stay but their wider EU mobility.
Operationally, the BFA’s focus on high-risk profiles may delay routine case-handling. Relocation providers report that background checks on Afghans and Syrians applying for Red-White-Red or Blue-Card permits are now routed through special-risk units, adding up to ten working days to normal processing times.
Looking ahead, Karner has announced monthly target figures for “public-order” removals in 2026. Companies with affected talent pools should monitor ministry statistics and maintain open communication channels with employees whose residence titles depend on clean criminal records.
Although individual in scale, the case is symbolically important: Austria had stopped deportations to Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 but resumed “case-by-case” returns of criminal offenders in late 2025. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner framed Sunday’s removal as proof that deportations to both Syria and Afghanistan are shifting “vom Einzelfall zum Regelfall” (from rare exceptions to routine practice).
In this shifting landscape, mobility managers and private travelers alike can benefit from having a knowledgeable partner. VisaHQ offers a real-time portal covering Austrian entry rules, residence formalities and document requirements, and can assist with everything from background-check facilitation to contingency planning for high-risk nationalities. Explore the available services at https://www.visahq.com/austria/.
For global-mobility teams the message is clear. Any third-country employee who loses the right of residence following a criminal conviction now faces a realistic prospect of forced return, even to jurisdictions deemed unsafe by many EU partners. Employers should review disciplinary policies, ensure robust legal-compliance training and advise staff that criminal proceedings could jeopardise not just their Austrian stay but their wider EU mobility.
Operationally, the BFA’s focus on high-risk profiles may delay routine case-handling. Relocation providers report that background checks on Afghans and Syrians applying for Red-White-Red or Blue-Card permits are now routed through special-risk units, adding up to ten working days to normal processing times.
Looking ahead, Karner has announced monthly target figures for “public-order” removals in 2026. Companies with affected talent pools should monitor ministry statistics and maintain open communication channels with employees whose residence titles depend on clean criminal records.
