Voluntary Return

Many refugees would prefer to return to their homeland as soon as they no longer fear persecution. In principle, voluntary return from Austria is possible at any time. There are many reasons why people may wish to return home voluntarily while their asylum procedure is still ongoing.

If you consider returning to your home country, please contact the BBU GmbH (“Bundesagentur für Betreuungs- und Unterstützungsleistungen; BBU”). The BBU provides counselling on voluntary return.

Voluntary return should always happen in safety and dignity and be based on an informed decision, which is why it is important to contact a return counselling organization for further information.

People whose application for asylum has been finally rejected are obliged to leave Austria. But they also have the possibility to leave voluntarily within a certain period of time. Only a person who does not voluntarily leave can be forcibly returned to his/her country of origin.

The Republic of Austria, together with various partners, supports people who wish to voluntarily return to their homeland. You can apply for assistance if you do not have the financial resources to leave.

Further information on programmes for returnees can be found on the website of the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum.