Syrian refugees decide to move to Vienna because of the generous financial benefits.

According to a study by the Austrian Employment Service (AMS), many Syrians decide to reside in the capital because of higher social benefits. While other provinces only provide basic support, Vienna pays social security benefits to Syrians.

The new AMS report has sparked heated debate over the handling of asylum issues.

Many Syrian refugees openly admit that they move to Vienna for better financial support, not because they like the city itself.

Whereas those entitled to subsidiary protection in many provinces only receive basic support, Vienna also pays them minimum social security. For many, this is the decisive factor when choosing a place of residence.

“The services and financial benefits are better in Vienna than in other provinces,”

explained one Syrian interviewee, adding:

“But I find other provinces more beautiful than Vienna. Families moving from Upper Austria to Vienna justify their decision by saying that the financial support is better in Vienna.”

Another Syrian put it bluntly: he moved to Vienna because of his subsidiary refugee status.

“Vienna offers me better financial support,” he said.

Not everyone agrees with this approach. An interviewee from Upper Austria stated clearly:

“Many people in Vienna depend on social benefits, and I don’t like that. I want to work and earn my own money.”

No Return to Syria

Equally controversial: even after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the majority of respondents do not want to return to their homeland. A 39-year-old Syrian woman from Styria put it this way:

„No, we want to stay in Austria so my children can have stability. We were forced to relocate many times and were homeless for a long time. That is why we want to settle in Austria.”

She referred to friends who have already lived in Austria for ten years, are raising children, and have long lost contact with the Arabic language. Collapsed houses, hopelessness, and children deeply rooted in Austria are also central reasons against returning.

The report has also triggered political debate. Vienna’s social affairs councillor, Peter Hacker (SPO), emphasised in Kronen Zeitung back in 2024:

„Anyone who receives social welfare in Vienna but does not want to work will immediately have their welfare cut. Without exception, because solidarity is not a one-way street.”

The AMS report now paints a different picture: several Syrians explicitly cite Vienna’s higher social benefits as the reason for their move.

Wien statt Heimat: Laut einer AMS-Studie wählen viele Syrer die Bundeshauptstadt wegen der höheren Sozialgelder. Während andere Länder nur Grundversorgung bieten, zahlt Wien die Mindestsicherung. Das sorgt jetzt für heftigen politischen Streit. https://t.co/pfuy0blx9Z

— exxpress (@exxpressat) September 15, 2025

For Udo Landbauer, regional leader of the FPO in Lower Austria and deputy provincial governor, the result is hardly surprising:

„That almost all Syrians living in Vienna have no intention of returning is not surprising, given the high social benefits provided in the capital. If idleness is rewarded in this way, then even a return bonus will not help.”

The politician summed up the study’s findings as follows:

„Social benefits are more important than scenic value.”

Landbauer pointed to Lower Austria’s stricter policy, which includes a benefits card for payments in kind, a ban on weapons, and compulsory registration, and again demanded a zero-immigration policy.

Martin Antauer, the FPO’s provincial councillor for asylum matters, recently defended the introduction of the benefits card in 2023 in an interview with exxpressTV: “In the past, asylum seekers could use cash to pay smugglers or buy alcohol.” With the card, asylum seekers can only shop in certain stores, but cannot transfer money or purchase alcohol.