After thousands of Syrians flooded Vienna’s streets to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Herbert Kickl urged them to return home.
“With Assad gone, the reason for asylum is over. Your homeland needs you now,” he wrote on Facebook, sharing videos of jubilant crowds. Kickl suggested their departure would ease Austria’s strained social system, adding it might also mean fewer “knife specialists” in the country, a nod to Syrians’ overrepresentation in crime statistics.
The Assad regime’s collapse, ending a 50-year rule, sparked mass celebrations across Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. In Austria, Syrians form a significant migrant group, with 95,004 living in the country, mainly in Vienna. Unauthorized demonstrations in Vienna swelled to an estimated 12,000 participants, with conflicting reports about disturbances. While Heute described the event as “extremely peaceful,” police logged 60 pyrotechnic incidents and one public order breach. There were also claims, disputed by authorities, of blank gunfire during the protests.
Kickl criticized the government for allowing the Syrian protests while canceling his party’s recent demonstration, questioning the disparity in police responses. He reiterated his call for “remigration,” advocating for migrants’ return to their home countries. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed support for aiding Syrians willing to return, noting deportations could now be considered with Assad out of power.
