Asylum statistics from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), show more than 12,000 people came to Switzerland in the first six months of this year. Compared to the first half of 2022, the total number of asylum applications has risen by 43%.
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سويسرا تسجل زيادة بنسبة 43٪ في طلبات اللجوء خلال الأشهر الستة الأخيرة
In the last ten years, only in the first half of 2016 have more asylum applications been submitted. According to Reto Kormann, spokesman for the SEM, the increase of 43% is relatively high but expected. By the end of the 2023, the SEM expects a total of around 27,000 applications.
Most asylum applications this year came from people from Afghanistan, followed by Turkey. The SEM examines each application individually to see whether the reasons for asylum have been met, says Kormann.
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Asylum cases increased in 2022, not counting Ukrainians
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Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) says it received 24,511 asylum applications in 2022, without counting Ukrainians.
Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider wanted container villages for asylum seekers, but the request failed in parliament when it was rejected by the Senate. However, Kormann says there is currently no emergency situation regarding accommodations for refugees. There are still around 4,000 places in reserve at the federal level.
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Parliament again rejects extra funding for refugee housing
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The Senate has for a third time rejected extra funding to build housing for the mounting number of refugees in Switzerland.
The cantons still have around five weeks to organize additional accommodations in order to prepare for a possible next wave of refugees in autumn.
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Cantons seek government support to cope with wave of refugees
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The rapid rise in the number of refugees has strained housing in some cantons, which are calling on the federal government for support.
However, in the city of Chiasso in canton Ticino which boarders Italy, the situation is coming to a boiling point.
Police commander Nicolas Poncini says his colleagues have already responded to asylum seekers 300 times this year: “The situation is explosive, we have twice as many refugees as planned.”
The situation is nowhere near as unforeseen as it is portrayed, says Samuel Wyss, another spokesperson for SEM “Now we have an extraordinary situation, not only in Ticino. That’s why we had to find new accommodation, of course in consultation with the authorities”.
The local authorities did not manage to integrate so many asylum seekers into work programs, regrets mayor of Chiasso, Bruno Arrigoni. He would also like to see more support from the canton. If the asylum seekers could work, they would have a daily structure and more money.
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How the Swiss asylum system works
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Switzerland has a long humanitarian tradition but who can apply for asylum in the country and how?
Direct trains to run from Zurich to Florence and Livorno
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The Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia will offer direct trains from Zurich to Florence and Livorno and vice versa from 2026.
Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
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The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.
More than 400,000 cross-border commuters now work in Switzerland
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More than half of all cross-border commuters were resident in France (around 57%). Large proportions also lived in Italy (23%) and Germany (around 16%).
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
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Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
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One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
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At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
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Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
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Swiss parliament greenlights army support for migration office
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The Swiss parliament says soldiers can be deployed to help support the State Secretariat for Migration cope with the influx of asylum-seekers.
Is housing asylum seekers in underground shelters inhumane?
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The Swiss parliament rejected funding to build container accommodation. They argued that underused civil defence bunkers could do the job.
Court finds Switzerland guilty of violating refugees’ right to family life
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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has criticised Switzerland for rejecting refugees’ applications for family reunification.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.