Austria is sending Chechen asylum seekers back to Russia, despite concerns that they may be forcibly conscripted to fight in Ukraine, according to court documents acquired by AFP.
This year, Austria expelled two Chechens who had sought asylum after receiving notices for military conscription from Russia. Authorities maintained that the men, both over the age of 30, were not at a credible risk of being drafted, arguing that this threat only concerns males aged 18 to 30—a stance that has been challenged by human rights organizations.
Officials in Vienna claimed that the men could evade mobilization by moving to Moscow. They also indicated that the men represented a potential security risk based on police investigations related to terrorism and religious extremism, though no specific details were offered.
Amnesty International has consistently urged European nations to cease the deportation of Chechen asylum seekers, warning that these actions “contravene international human rights obligations.” Meanwhile, Chechen expatriates argue that they are unjustly associated with religious extremism.
Following the closure of EU airspace in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Austria is conducting deportations using connecting flights through Serbia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Austria has not disclosed comprehensive figures regarding the deportation of Chechens, who are often Russian nationals or stateless individuals. The Austrian Interior Ministry did not respond to inquiries from AFP.
Although Austria has not cooperated directly with Moscow since the onset of the conflict, the court documents note that officials perceive Russia’s lack of response to deportation requests as a form of “silent approval.”
Rosa Dunaeva, a Chechen activist residing in Vienna, noted that many Austrians tend to view Chechens as “terrorists” without question.
She pointed out that numerous Chechens lack the financial means for legal assistance in Austria, making them susceptible to deportation. Dunaeva emphasized that deportees risk being forcibly conscripted in Russia if their families are unable to pay bribes.
“Authorities across Europe are fully aware that those who are deported can be drafted to engage in combat in Ukraine,” Dunaeva explained, “regardless of whether they are 18 or 60 years old.”
In 2006, the European Union reached an agreement with Russia to facilitate the return of criminal suspects. Austria has not challenged this agreement despite the ongoing war.
Increased surveillance of the Chechen community in Austria followed the 2020 killing of a schoolteacher in France by a Chechen refugee and the country’s first jihadist attack that same year.
In 2024, Amnesty International once again called on European nations to stop repatriations to Chechnya and the North Caucasus due to the “new risk of mobilization.”
The human rights climate in Chechnya is so dire that “families are afraid to bring these cases to light,” said Natalia Prilutskaya, a Russia specialist at the NGO, to AFP.
“There is no safe haven for returnees anywhere in Russia,” she stated, adding that men up to the age of 70 could be conscripted if classified as military reserves.
In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights condemned France for deporting Chechens to Russia, citing Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture. The ECHR stressed that these protections are inalienable, even in situations involving public threats or terrorism.
Approximately 250,000 Chechens reside in Europe. With a population of 9.2 million, Austria is home to between 30,000 and 40,000 Chechens, representing the largest per capita Chechen diaspora.
Chechnya, ravaged by wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, is currently under the strict control of Kremlin loyalist Ramzan Kadyrov, who has suppressed dissent and supported Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
