After thousands of Syrians took to the streets of Austria’s capital of Vienna to celebrate the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad, the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) is already wishing them “safe journeys” back to Syria.
“With the fall of Assad, the reason for these people to seek asylum has disappeared. Your homeland needs you now, the cheering people can now return to their homeland,” wrote FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl on Facebook while sharing videos of the masses of Syrians who gathered to celebrate. Kickl joins a chorus of European leaders calling for a mass exodus of Syrians back to their homeland, with Kickl writing that the departure of these Syrians will bring “significant” relief to the Austrian social system as a “positive side effect.”
He also mentioned that “even one or two knife specialists will disappear from Austria,” referring to the overrepresentation of Syrians in the criminal statistics in Austria.
The al-Assad family ruled Syria for 50 years before its downfall last week, prompting widespread mass celebrations of Syrian refugees in Europe, including countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Syrians represent a major migrant group in Austria, totaling 95,004 at the beginning of 2024, with most of them concentrated in Vienna. They are the eighth-largest group of foreigners in the country.
Notably, the unauthorized demonstrations in Vienna quickly grew in size, with reports of up to 30,000 people taking to the streets to celebrate, according to Austrian newspaper Heute. However, the official police data put the number at 12,000.
🚨 AUSTRIA: Up to 30,000 Syrians took to the streets of Vienna to celebrate following the fall of Assad.
The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) is calling for these Syrians to now return home.pic.twitter.com/D4y8Xwvz0A
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 9, 2024There is currently a debate about whether pistols firing blanks were used during the demonstrations. Heute stated the demonstrations were “extremely peaceful,” but police reported the use of around “60 reports of pyrotechnic items and one report of a disturbance of public order.” There are claims from the FPÖ that blanks were fired from pistols.
Kickl, whose protest against the ruling government coalition was recently canceled in Vienna, noted the unauthorized protest for Syrians was allowed to move forward without police intervening.
“Are water cannons also on site? Are kettles also being formed? Or does something like that only happen when there are demonstrations against the losing traffic light coalition?” he asked, referring to the planned protest of his FPÖ party at the end of November that was shut down by the police.
Notably, Kickl has long called for “remigration,” which calls for sending many of the country’s migrants back home.
🇦🇹‼️ “Remigration! I have absolutely no problem to say that word…. We are not going to accept any asylum requests anymore."
– Herbert Kickl, head of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)
Polls put his FPÖ party in first place heading into national elections on Sept. 29. pic.twitter.com/0PKxA4DXIm
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) September 10, 2024Meanwhile, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said his government is willing to help those Syrians who want return home and said deportations could be on the table now that Assad is removed from power.
