Austria

Austria

In 1989, Moldovan refugees came through Vienna Airport.

Years Active

1945-2026

Office Locations

Vienna, Austria; Tel Aviv, Israel

RSC Austria is Now Closed

We are devastated by the Trump Administration’s decision to end the lifesaving pathway for thousands of Iranian religious minorities to reunite with family and friends in the U.S.

As part of this decision, the administration has shuttered the Resettlement Support Center in Austria (RSC Austria), which HIAS has managed for more than 25 years in partnership with the U.S. State Department. The decision to close the program leaves 14,000 Iranians in grave danger.

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The U.S. Department of State has terminated HIAS’ grant for Resettlement Support Center (RSC) Austria, and therefore, RSC Austria is no longer active. The President of the United States has the authority to determine who may enter the U.S. each year as a refugee. President Trump has not made any provision in his annual Presidential Determination nor in his report to Congress to continue this program to resettle Iranian religious minorities to the U.S.  

As a result of this U.S. Government decision, a pipeline of over 14,000 Iranians in Iran can no longer be supported by HIAS through the work of RSC Austria. HIAS no longer has access to records of refugees previously served by the RSC and therefore is unable to respond to case specific inquiries. Nor does HIAS have staff to respond to other general inquiries. 

Iranian Lautenberg applicants in the RSC Austria pipeline and their U.S. Ties must contact the U.S. Department of State Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration or their local U.S. Congressional representatives for information regarding the future of their refugee applications. 

Learn more about the Lautenberg program

33,000+

people from Iranian religious minority communities were resettled by HIAS to the United States between 2001 and 2025.

Our Work

RSC Austria was fully funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM). The HIAS-managed Resettlement Support Center (RSC) in Austria assisted thousands of individuals with case processing and preparation for arrival in the United States.

A HIAS legal client sits and talks with a client in this thumbnail for the video

We protect refugees and displaced people by offering legal support, preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, looking after children’s rights, providing safe housing, ensuring access to food, and resettling refugees. These approaches are all tailored to local contexts and are designed to strengthen communities to support people forced to flee violence and persecution.

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A HIAS legal client sits and talks with a client in this thumbnail for the video

We protect refugees and displaced people by offering legal support, preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, looking after children’s rights, providing safe housing, ensuring access to food, and resettling refugees. These approaches are all tailored to local contexts and are designed to strengthen communities to support people forced to flee violence and persecution.

Learn More

How the RSC in Austria Worked

The HIAS-managed Resettlement Support Center (RSC Austria) worked with three groups of displaced people: religious minorities from Iran who are petitioned for by their family and friends in the United States, vulnerable asylum seekers in Israel who are referred for resettlement in the U.S. by UNHCR, and Afghan refugees in Austria. RSC staff in Vienna, Austria and Tel Aviv, Israel assisted these individuals as they navigated the U.S. resettlement process.

The RSC was responsible for receiving applications and preparing the documents necessary for resettlement to the United States, coordinating refugee interviews with U.S. government officials, scheduling mandatory medical examinations for approved refugees, facilitating information exchange with organizations in the U.S. that provide sponsorship to refugees approved for admission, and providing cultural orientation training to refugees prior to their departure.

Statements

Feb 03, 2026

Trump Administration Ends Refugee Pathway for Persecuted Iranian Religious Minorities

Mar 23, 2024

HIAS Celebrates Hard-Fought Lautenberg Reauthorization

Oct 19, 2023

Hetfield Calls on Congress to Help Administration Rebuild Refugee Admissions Program

Oct 02, 2023

HIAS: Asylum Seekers and Humanitarian Assistance Must Be Prioritized in Long-Term Government Funding

Dec 22, 2022

HIAS Welcomes Reintroduction of Refugee Protection Act

Jun 19, 2015

HIAS Celebrates Government Spending Bill and Extension of the Lautenberg Amendment
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