Germany deports more asylum seekers back to Switzerland

Germany has taken a firmer line on accepting asylum seekers from the Swiss border Keystone

The number of failed asylum seekers being sent back to Switzerland from Germany has risen dramatically this year, according to the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.

The last few years has seen a rising number of people transiting through Switzerland in order to claim asylum in Germany. But the German authorities appear to have had enough. In the first eight months of this year, the number of deportation requests (1,875) back to Switzerland has risen 70% on 2016. 

Switzerland is also acquiescing to these requests far more readily than it used to. Official statistics reveal a 175% rise in Swiss acceptance and an increase of 185% in the number of failed asylum seekers crossing the border back into Switzerland.

Between January and the end of August, 255 people were transferred from Germany to Switzerland. In the corresponding period last year, the number stood at 90.

Under the terms of the Dublin Regulation, countries can deport rejected asylum seekers, but must send them back to the European country from which they originally crossed the border.

The NZZ am Sonntag quoted a German migration official who said that the country has recently bolstered its migration office with more staff. In February, Germany tightened regulations, making it easier to deport failed asylum seekers.