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Over 8,000 wanted people: Who are the most wanted in Austria?
On September 1, 2025, over 8,000 people were wanted in Austria with arrest warrants, including many Romanians. The statistics show the challenges of fighting cross-border crime in the EU.
Over 8,000 wanted people: Who are the most wanted in Austria?
Current statistics from the Ministry of the Interior show an alarming picture: In Austria, 8,216 people are currently wanted by arrest or demonstration order. This information was published by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) at the request of the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and takes a look at the crime situation in the country. The largest group of those wanted is Romanian nationals with 1,233 people, which corresponds to 15 percent of the total wanted.
There is also an interesting picture of nationalities: Serbs follow with 11.1 percent, Germans with 7.6 percent, as well as Hungarians and Slovaks, who each make up almost 5.3 percent of the searched people. Fortunately, Austrians are only in sixth place with a share of 5.1 percent. Citizens from Turkey, Poland, Georgia and the Czech Republic are also among the “top ten” of those wanted. However, the statistics only show the number of people wanted and ignore the crimes committed, which could provide some security that is not examined in more detail.
The European arrest warrant in focus
A central component in the Europe-wide fight against crime is European arrest warrant (EuHb). This legal basis allows the judicial authorities of one EU country to request the arrest and surrender of a person in another EU country. Since its introduction on May 14, 2005, the EAW has aimed to strengthen cooperation between the legal systems of the EU states. The principle of mutual recognition of judicial decisions plays a crucial role here.
An interesting aspect is that for 32 specific criminal offenses it is not necessary to check double criminality if the offense is punishable by a prison sentence of at least three years in the issuing country. Political considerations must not be taken into account in the decisions of the judicial authorities. This means that EU countries cannot refuse to hand over their own nationals unless they themselves carry out the punishment, which significantly improves the efficiency of the system.
International dimensions and challenges
Global connections are not only apparent in the numbers. For example, according to Interpol, over 80,000 people worldwide are wanted, with a total of 81,515 people being wanted as of June 24, 2025. Regarding the European Arrest Warrant, the figures are also spectacular, with a total of 39,933 arrest warrants issued, with Poland with 5,420 and Romania with 3,488 leading the list of “Most Wanted” in Europe.
Another point that should not be ignored is the different prison conditions in EU countries, which can affect confidence in the use of the EAW. Studies show that in almost 300 cases since 2016, the enforcement of an EAW has been delayed or refused due to the risk of violation of fundamental rights, raising questions about the protection of suspects' rights.
Overall, there is a complex picture of the fight against crime in Europe, which brings with it both challenges and progress in cooperation between judicial authorities. While the numbers of wanted people in Austria illustrate a worrying development, it is important not to lose sight of the legal framework and its implementation.