Europe’s top human rights court has ruled that a 19-year-old Syrian criminal can be deported, marking the first such approval in over a decade. The September 23 verdict by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) could mark a major turning point in Europe’s migration battles.

The young man, identified as A.F. and originally from Syria’s Hasaka governorate, fled in 2022 after local militias began recruiting young men. He sought asylum in Austria, but his request was denied. Following convictions for theft and robbery in 2024 and 2025, he served his sentence and was placed in a detention center awaiting deportation.

However, his lawyers appealed to the ECHR in August, citing risks to his life and safety under Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court initially halted the deportation under its emergency powers, but it has now lifted the suspension, saying A.F. faces no imminent danger in Syria and noting he is young, healthy, speaks the language, and has family support in the country.

Austria had already deported two Syrians earlier this year, the first such returns since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.

The ECHR ruling follows a joint letter from nine European leaders—including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Poland’s Donald Tusk, and Austria’s Christian Stocker—urging Strasbourg to give states more leeway to expel foreigners convicted of crimes. The signatories warned that limits on deportations undermine public safety and erode trust in institutions.