In 2015, a total of 88,340 asylum applications were submitted in Austria. Ten years later, those same asylum seekers can once again apply for Austrian citizenship — including those who committed crimes during this period.

Ten years after the onset of the massive refugee crisis, Austria is facing a sensitive turning point: the asylum seekers who arrived in the country in 2015 — around 88,000 people — can reapply for Austrian citizenship this year.

„We cannot sell our citizenship!”

warned Christoph Luis, local lawmaker of the FPO in Lower Austria, who also voiced his demand that individuals who committed acts of violence or terrorism should not be granted citizenship.

Citizenship must be earned

According to the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO), Austrian citizenship must once again be seen as a value and should not become a cheap commodity.

Those who want citizenship should earn it through achievement, integration, and solid command of the German language, the party argues.

Up until now, even those who had served prison sentences for committing crimes could become Austrian citizens. The FPO describes the current situation as unacceptable, and the party is now proposing a new model: in cases of serious crimes, asylum seekers should not be granted citizenship.

And anyone convicted of murder, rape, or terrorism should be permanently excluded from the citizenship process.

The party also wants to significantly tighten the rules for other criminals. Under their proposal, anyone who is put behind bars would have to wait considerably longer to become a citizen. For example, a one-year prison sentence would result in a 20-year waiting period, instead of the current ten years.

Zehn Jahre nach der Flüchtlingswelle von 2015 können Asylwerber nun die österreichische Staatsbürgerschaft beantragen. Die FPÖ schlägt Alarm: Ein Ausverkauf der Staatsbürgerschaft droht – selbst bei Schwerkriminellen. https://t.co/AV9boUda9c

— exxpress (@exxpressat) May 9, 2025