As of Monday 67,621 people had been granted special “S protection” status, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said. This is an increase of 458 applications compared with the previous week.
The government developed S protection status in the mid-1990s in response to the Balkan wars. The mechanism is intended to enable the rapid admission of a group of refugees, who are thus freed from long asylum procedures, including individual examinations of why they fled their country.
More
More
Switzerland triggers unprecedented special status for Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Victims of the war in Ukraine get a special S permit which Switzerland has never used before.
So far, the S status has been terminated for 5,344 people, the SEM said. The cases of 1,704 people from Ukraine are also being examined to determine whether to terminate their S refugee status.
Switzerland is expecting nearly 50% more asylum applications this year compared with 2021, prompting the construction of new accommodation centres and the support of the army.
Refugee crisis
The estimate of refugee numbers for 2022 has increased significantly since a forecast in October of 19,000 asylum applications and 85,000 Ukrainians on S permits. The SEM said on October 20 that it expected to receive 22,000 refugees by the end of the year, 7,000 more than 2021.
More
More
Huge hike in refugees stretches Swiss resources
This content was published on
Switzerland expects nearly 50% more asylum applications this year compared to 2021.
Since February 24, more than 7.7 millionExternal link Ukrainians have fled their country for safety across Europe. This represents the largest European refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War.
In Europe, 4.5 million people from Ukraine have applied for official refugee protection status, the SEM wrote, based on data from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the EU statistics agency Eurostat.
More
More
How the Swiss asylum system works
This content was published on
Switzerland has a long humanitarian tradition but who can apply for asylum in the country and how?
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Swiss plan 1,600 extra trains for Eurovision, Women’s EURO 2025 and other events
This content was published on
Swiss Federal Railways is planning to operate 1,600 additional trains to transport passengers to special events in 2025, such as the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 and the Eurovision Song Contest.
Swiss study: higher prices for cheese with protected geographical indication
This content was published on
Indications of geographical origin play a central role in the cheese trade, a study by the Agroscope research centre shows.
Swiss campaigners launch another ‘responsible business initiative’
This content was published on
A coalition has launched a new "responsible business initiative", urging the government to ensure that Swiss-based multinationals and their subsidiaries abroad respect human rights and protect the environment.
Swiss court suspends Geneva plan to ban single-use plastics
This content was published on
A Geneva court has suspended a ban on the sale of single-use plastics in the city, which was due to be introduced on January 1. This follows an appeal by Swiss retailers to the Federal Court.
Swiss cable car firms and hotels report positive winter so far
This content was published on
The Swiss cable car association and Switzerland Tourism have reported higher visitor numbers at winter resorts over the Christmas and New Year period compared to 2023/24.
UBS expects Swiss National Bank to record CHF80bn profit in 2024
This content was published on
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is expected to make a net profit of CHF80 billion ($88.4 billion) in 2024, according to UBS.
This content was published on
Consumer prices fell last year in Switzerland, new figures show. Higher rents and electricity prices were partially offset by lower prices for gas and prescription drugs.
This content was published on
New data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) shows that flu cases doubled in Switzerland between mid and late December.
Swiss bank Julius Bär sells its Brazilian operation
This content was published on
Swiss private bank Julius Bär has signed an agreement to sell its operation in Brazil for 615 million reais, or CHF91 million ($100.7 million).
Historian claims Swiss banks may hold further Second World War secrets
This content was published on
Bank archives could still hold secrets about Swiss actions during the Second World War and should be re-examined, especially those of UBS, says Marc Perrenoud, a historian who worked on the Bergier Commission.
Swiss migration authorities struggling with ‘overlapping crises’
This content was published on
The Swiss migration head says federal asylum centres are full and the situation is unprecedented since the Second World War.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.