Austria sees sharp rise in reported abductions

Reports indicate a significant increase in the number of people being abducted from Austria. In the first half of 2026, 92 cases of abduction were reported, compared to a total of 160 cases across the entire years of 2024 and 2025 combined.

Meltem Weiland, head of the National Competence Center against Abduction and Domestic Violence at the PeriFeri association, described the rise as “concerning.” The victims are often children, including both boys and girls, who are taken to their home countries by parents under the guise of a vacation as a “disciplinary measure.” In many instances, these children are intended to be married abroad.

Women are also being targeted through a similar pattern. They are lured abroad and then abandoned by their husbands as punishment for marital issues or for filing for divorce. In these cases, the women are often left with their parents, who may support the husband to avoid the perceived shame of a divorce.

While abductions occur to various destinations, the most frequent locations currently include Russia and Syria, as well as Iraq, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The center, which works with authorities and embassies to facilitate returns, noted that the volume of cases has occasionally reached a point where a three-person team becomes overwhelmed, citing one instance where “five cases were reported in four minutes.”