The possible consequences of not following your duties after a positive decision in Austria
If you receive international protection in Austria, you must follow certain rules and duties. If you do not follow these rules, there can be serious consequences.
On this page, you can learn what may happen if you do not comply with your duties and why it is important to follow them.
What happens if you do not comply with your duties?
Below you can find the most important ones and what they mean for you.
Your refugee status or subsidiary protection can be taken away if certain serious conditions are met.
This can happen if the authorities find out that you are no longer in need of protection, for example because the situation in your home country has changed and protection is no longer necessary.
Protection status can also be withdrawn if you gave false information or used false documents, and this information was important for the decision to grant you protection.
In addition, your status can be withdrawn if you are considered a risk to public security, for example if there are serious reasons to believe that you may endanger the safety of the country. It can also be withdrawn if you are convicted by a final court decision for a particularly serious crime and are considered dangerous to the community.
Each case is always checked individually by the authorities. They must clearly show why protection is being withdrawn. During the procedure, you still have certain basic rights as long as you are in Austria.
If you do not follow required obligations, especially integration duties such as attending courses, cooperating, or completing mandatory integration measures, you may lose access to some state support.
This can include financial help, housing support, or other social benefits. In some cases, the amount of support can be reduced if you do not take part in required integration measures or do not complete them.
If you receive social assistance or minimum income support, the responsible regional authorities may reduce your benefits according to local laws if you do not meet your obligations. For people who receive unemployment-related benefits, special legal rules apply, which may also lead to reductions or sanctions.
If you do not follow Austrian laws, you may face serious legal consequences. This includes breaking the law, committing a crime, or not following official rules.
In less serious cases, you may have to pay a fine or receive another legal penalty. In more serious cases, the authorities can start a criminal court procedure against you. A court can then decide on a punishment depending on the offence.
If the crime is serious, the court can also sentence you to imprisonment (going to prison). This means you may have to spend time in jail as a punishment for your actions. Such criminal consequences can also have further effects on your residence status in Austria, because serious criminal behaviour can negatively influence your right to stay in the country.
What about your rights and duties?
As failure to comply with your duties may have serious consequences, it is important that you are aware of them. In addition, you also have important rights that you should know about.
Below you can find more information about your rights and duties after a positive decision.
