Austria refugee family reunification quotas

The Austrian government has introduced a draft regulation to establish strict quotas for the family reunification of asylum seekers and those with subsidiary protection. For 2026 and 2027, the quota is set at 314 people per year, a substantial decrease from the more than 6,000 individuals who arrived through this process in 2024.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated that these limits aim to prevent the overloading of essential social systems, such as health and education, and to address rising juvenile crime. The government has also implemented stricter security checks and financial requirements for other migration categories, including mandatory German language exams and minimum income thresholds.

Federal authorities have warned that admitting more than 314 people through family reunification threatens to cause a state-wide overload. While data shows that family reunification has accounted for approximately 10 percent of all applications since 2015, recent years saw roughly 5,000 children entering the country via this process. Although some reports suggested this overwhelmed primary schools, others indicated the pressure was due to administrative management and communication issues rather than a lack of national capacity.