The newly appointed chairman of the EU Council of Interior Ministers, Nicholas Ioannides, is beginning his first day of work in Vienna. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner welcomed the Cypriot Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides for discussions before the New Year’s Concert on Thursday, alongside his Finnish counterpart Mari Rantanen, as reported by the Interior Ministry. Just before the year’s end, Karner had a phone call with Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab.
The main topic of discussion with Ioannides and Rantanen was the swift execution of the recently approved tightening of the asylum agreement at the EU level. “Finland and Cyprus are key partners in what is now a broad coalition for a European migration shift. Asylum procedures and return centers located outside of Europe are essential components,” Karner stated, according to the press release.
Karner: “Further deportations to Syria”
During the phone call with Khattab, they addressed the continuation of deportations to Syria, as noted by the Interior Ministry. Since July 2025, Austria became the first European country to directly deport convicted criminals back to Syria, according to an official statement. Karner had previously visited Syria in April 2025, marking the first time a European interior minister had done so since the fall of the Assad regime, alongside then German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
An expert meeting between both countries is planned in Syria to enhance the “process flow.” The possibility of collaborating on the training of Syrian police leadership personnel by the Interior Ministry is also being considered, as well as joint training initiatives for Syrian police officers with Jordanian police authorities in Jordan. “The deportation of convicted Syrian criminals to their home country will continue without fail. This is essential for the safety of the population in Austria,” Karner emphasized. (2.1.2025)
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