Swiss expect asylum costs to double by 2018

The government expects some 40,000 asylum seekers this year Keystone

The Swiss authorities have put aside almost CHF2.4 billion ($2.5 billion) for the issue of immigration for 2018, anticipating a rise in asylum costs connected to the refugee crisis. 

“For 2015 the estimate was around CHF1.2 billion. Now for 2018 we’re predicting double that,” Serge Gaillard, director of the finance ministry, told Swiss public radio, SRF, on Thursday. 

The reason for this jump was that the government was reckoning “with great uncertainty” on some 40,000 asylum seekers for this year, he explained. 

“Each asylum seeker costs around CHF20,000 a year, and that for five to seven years,” Gaillard said. “The costs will come down only slowly – even in the event that the asylum crisis eventually calms down.” 

Just last month the cabinet had estimated the costs for the asylum system for 2017-2019 would be around CHF450 million higher than previously planned.