Herbert Kickl, leader of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), launched a frontal attack on the government after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocked another planned deportation to Syria—the second such case in recent months.
The Interior Ministry confirmed the court’s interim measure but stressed it was “no surprise” and “absolutely nothing unusual,” adding that preparations for further deportations to Syria will continue. The Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum also acknowledged the order.
Kickl branded the move a “declaration of bankruptcy” for Interior Minister Karner’s security policy and a “total failure” for the government. He said the ÖVP’s “grandly staged asylum show has crashed loudly,” accusing the party of trampling the safety of Austrian citizens in favour of headline-chasing.
Reiterating the FPÖ’s stance, Kickl demanded a fundamental rethink of asylum and security policies: “We don’t need a government that puts protecting perpetrators before victims and lets itself be led around by the nose by foreign courts.”
