San Francisco Frontiers - 'We're all afraid': Austria moves to deport Syrian refugees

The youngest of his four children was born in Austria and the others feel more Austrian than Syrian having grown up in the Alpine country.

But as they celebrated the fall of the Assad regime in January, their lives were turned upside down when they received a letter from the Austrian authorities saying they wanted to revoke their refugee status.

"It's like a knife stab to the heart," the 42-year-old told AFP, visibly holding back the emotion.

Anti-migrant feeling has been surging in Austria, further fuelled when a Syrian was arrested last month for killing a 14-year-old boy in a suspected Islamist stabbing attack in the southern city of Villach.

Even though another Syrian refugee was hailed a hero for driving his car at the knifeman to stop the attack, Alnomman said it was a "catastrophe" for Syrians in the EU country. "It is really bad for us. Because of this idiot, now we all have to pay."

- Mass random checks -

Several European countries froze asylum requests from Syrians in December after the Assad dynasty was ousted after almost 14 years of bloody civil war that drove 12 million people from their homes.

But Austria -- which hosts almost 100,000 Syrians -- went even further. It halted family reunifications and started procedures to revoke the refugee status of some 2,900 people, according to the latest figures.

The interior ministry said it is preparing "an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria" while admitting that it is currently impossible and unlawful.

Conservative Interior Minister Gerhard Karner even said he wanted to legalise "random mass checks" on Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers' homes in the wake of the Villach attack.

And he has vowed to work "around the clock" to curb migration.

The new government coalition is under pressure from the opposition far-right Freedom Party, which emerged as the biggest party after the EU country's September election.

It has also pledged to expand the suspension of family reunifications to refugees of all nationalities.

- 'Can't sleep at night' -

Asylum experts say that the letters to revoke refugee status do not mean Syrians will be stripped of their right to stay any time soon. But they said it has hugely unsettled the community.

"We can't sleep at night. All Syrians are afraid now," said Alnomman.

"I'm under constant pressure since getting this letter," he added.

"They don't want us. What have we done wrong?"

The halting of family reunions has already hit many hard.

Ahmed Elgrk, a 37-year-old food delivery rider in Vienna, last saw his wife and five kids four years ago when he fled Syria.

He had high hopes of bringing them to Austria after gathering the necessary paperwork last year.

He had already bought beds for his children, aged four to 14, when he received the letter to initiate the revoking of his refugee status. He was later told that his family would not get visas.

"I laughed -- not for joy, but from pain. It hurts my whole family," Elgrk told AFP.

"For four years I have told my family, 'Just have a little bit more patience, we are almost there.' I prepared everything," said the Idlib native, who said he fears persecution by the country's new Islamist leadership if he returns to Syria.

Meanwhile, Syrians are being offered 1,000 euros ($1,050) to go back voluntarily. So far, almost 100 have taken the offer up, according to the latest government figures.

M.Powell--SFF