Austria's Anti-Immigration Stance: A Complex Issue

Austria has seen a rise in far-right activism, with groups such as the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the Identitarian Movement Austria (IBO) gaining traction in the country. These groups have been vocal in their opposition to immigration, advocating for what they call remigration or the forced expulsion of immigrant populations. The far-right has leveraged anti-immigrant sentiment to gain political power, with the FPÖ, in particular, becoming the most popular political party in Austria as of 2025. This shift towards the far-right has raised concerns about the normalisation of extremist ideologies and potential impacts on immigration policies and social cohesion in the country.

Austria's far-right is gaining ground ahead of elections

Austria's far-right is gaining ground ahead of the country's federal elections, with the Freedom Party (FPÖ) now the most popular political party in the country. The party's polling numbers have jumped from 20 to 30% in the last year, and it could achieve its best national election result in history. The party's harsh, restrictive positions on immigration and asylum are driving its popularity.

The Freedom Party has taken a page from the US culture wars, cracking down on trans rights and gender-inclusive language. It has also established itself as the anti-establishment party, opposing lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates, and Ukraine. The party is staunchly anti-immigration and has campaigned with slogans such as "Fortress Austria" and "Austria First".

The rise of the far-right in Austria is not an isolated incident. It reflects a broader trend across Europe, where declining support for traditional parties and a volatile political and economic climate have created an opening for right-wing populist parties. The failure of centrist parties to build an effective "firewall" against the far-right has allowed this shift to occur.

The Freedom Party's recent upswing is also rooted in the pandemic, during which the party solidified its role as the opposition party. It has also borrowed a tune from the United States' culture wars, campaigning against trans rights and gender-inclusive language. The links between the Freedom Party and the American far-right are evidenced by the attendance of two of its leading members at a gala hosted by the New York Young Republican Club.

The impact of the Freedom Party leading the government would be significant, both domestically and internationally. Julia Partheymüller, a political scientist at the Vienna Centre for Electoral Research, stated that the party leading the government would be a "polarising figure". The party's extreme positions and associations with the American far-right and Russian President Vladimir Putin indicate a potential shift towards an illiberal democracy and further fuel to the fire of rising extremism in Europe.

Anti-racist campaigners plan counter-protests

Anti-racist campaigners are planning counter-protests in response to the far-right Identitarian Movement Austria's (IBO) march in Vienna, demanding the "remigration" or forced expulsion of immigrant populations. The counter-protests aim to denounce the anti-immigration demonstration and are expected to gather a sizeable crowd, similar to the 2023 event where counter-protesters blocked the march route and scuffles broke out with the police.

The exact timings and locations of the "remigration" event by IBO are often kept confidential until the last moment to prevent interference from opposing groups. However, anti-racist campaigners plan to gather at 15:00 in Neuer Markt to make their voices heard. This strategic approach by far-right groups underlines the sensitivity and potential for conflict surrounding immigration issues in Austria.

The anti-racist counter-protesters will likely face a significant challenge, as the IBO march is expected to attract a large number of participants. The far-right groups aim to introduce the concept of "remigration" to the public and gain support for legislative changes that would facilitate the expulsion of immigrants. They believe that Austrians are becoming a minority in their country due to uncontrolled mass migration.

It is crucial for the Austrian authorities to ensure that the counter-protests by anti-racist campaigners remain peaceful and do not escalate into violent clashes with far-right groups or the police. Additional security measures and a strong police presence will be necessary to maintain order and prevent the two sides from coming into direct contact.

The counter-protests reflect a broader movement in Austria and beyond, where anti-racist activists are mobilizing to oppose far-right rallies and promote unity and inclusion. These efforts are particularly important in the context of rising far-right sentiment and anti-immigrant hostility in Europe.

Austria joins coordinated border checks against illegal migrants

Austria has taken a hard line on immigration in recent years, with the country's interior minister, Gerhard Karner, stating that curbing illegal immigration is a priority for the Austrian government. In 2024, Austria joined coordinated border checks with other European Union countries to prevent the entry of illegal migrants. This move was in response to increasing pressure from the Balkan migration route, which leads from Serbia into Hungary and then onwards to Austria.

Austria's decision to implement border checks is part of a broader effort by several EU countries to strengthen the bloc against illegal immigration and target human smuggling groups operating along its borders. The interior ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany met in Hungary for a summit to discuss these issues. The Austrian government specifically announced that it would start checking travel documents at its border with Slovakia, following a similar decision by the Czech Republic, to prevent migrants from entering without authorization.

The Austrian Interior Ministry stated that these border controls were intended to prevent migrant smugglers from using Austria as an alternative route once the Czech Republic began its checks at its border with Slovakia. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasized the need to "'react before the smugglers react.'" This is not the first time Austria has introduced border controls to manage migration; in 2015, the country implemented controls along its borders with Hungary and Slovenia when over a million asylum seekers entered the EU.

The issue of immigration has also sparked demonstrations in Austria, with far-right groups such as the Identitarian Movement Austria (IBO) demanding "remigration" or the forced expulsion of immigrant populations. In response, anti-racism campaigners have organized counter-protests to denounce the anti-immigration demonstrations. These rival protests have resulted in clashes and injuries, requiring additional police deployment to monitor the protests and keep the groups apart.

Austria's participation in coordinated border checks and its domestic politics surrounding immigration reflect a broader trend of increasing anti-immigrant sentiment and policies in Europe.

The Freedom Party's harsh, restrictive positions on immigration and asylum

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has been characterised as a far-right, nativist, and anti-immigration political party. The party's leader, Herbert Kickl, has been described as a "firebrand" whose speeches are "peppered with Nazi-era slogans". The party's resurgence has been attributed to post-pandemic anger, inflation, fears surrounding the war in Ukraine, and anti-immigrant sentiments.

The Freedom Party's harsh and restrictive positions on immigration and asylum are encapsulated in its "Fortress Austria" and "Austria First" slogans. The party advocates for the remigration of non-ethnic Europeans, which entails the forced return of non-ethnically European immigrants and their descendants, regardless of their Austrian citizenship, to their countries of racial origin. This stance has been criticised as a form of ethnic cleansing and a threat to social cohesion in Austria.

The Freedom Party's immigration and asylum policies also include plans to slash allowances for unauthorised migration and asylum seekers, and to end the reunification of family members abroad with migrants already in the country. The party's leaders have justified these measures by claiming that immigrants are more likely to be perpetrators and victims of crime, and that the presence of immigrants threatens the welfare state and pensioners' benefits.

In addition to its anti-immigration stance, the Freedom Party has been accused of xenophobia, racism, and anti-Semitism. The party's nationalist and anti-Muslim policies have been criticised for promoting division and undermining social cohesion within Austria. The party has also been accused of conspiring with far-right groups to introduce the concept of "remigration" into mainstream political discourse.

The Freedom Party's harsh stance on immigration and asylum has attracted support from those who feel disillusioned with the status quo and the political establishment. The party's appeal lies in its ability to offer a protest against the perceived betrayal of Austrian values and economic disenfranchisement by the ruling elite.

The Identitarian Movement Austria (IBO) plans to march in central Vienna, demanding remigration

The Identitarian Movement Austria (IBO), a far-right nationalist group, plans to march in central Vienna, demanding remigration, or the forced expulsion of immigrant populations. This is not the first time the IBO has organised such an event, with a similar "remigration" event taking place in 2023. The IBO is inspired by the French Bloc identitaire and is part of the pan-European Identitarian movement, Generation Identity (GI). The group advocates for ethnopluralism and opposes liberalism, internationalism, Islam, Islamism, and multiculturalism.

The IBO's remigration march in Vienna is in response to the belief that "natural Austrians" are becoming a minority in the country due to uncontrolled mass migration. They plan to introduce the concept of remigration to the public and gain support for legislative changes that would allow for the forced expulsion of immigrants and people perceived as non-Austrians. The IBO's demands are in line with those of Austria's Freedom Party, which has called for the "remigration of uninvited foreigners" and a more "homogeneous" nation through tight border control and the suspension of the right to asylum.

The IBO's remigration march has faced opposition from anti-racism campaigners, who are planning a counter-protest to denounce the anti-immigration demonstration. This counter-protest is expected to include several hundred people and will likely result in increased security measures and localized disruptions in Vienna. The Austrian government has taken action against the IBO in the past, with police raiding several of their facilities in April 2018 and pressing charges against members for spreading "radical, xeno- and Islamophobic ideology". While the IBO was acquitted of incitement and criminal association charges, the government has considered dissolving the group due to its extreme ideologies and associations.

The IBO's remigration march in Vienna is part of a wider trend of anti-immigrant sentiment in Austria, with the country's far-right gaining momentum in recent years. The Freedom Party, for example, won the parliamentary election in September 2025 with an anti-immigration and euroskeptic platform. While the formation of a new government is still in discussion, the Freedom Party's leader, Herbert Kickl, has been mandated to hold talks with the People's Party, indicating a potential shift towards the far-right in Austrian politics.

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