The number of people seeking asylum in Switzerland dropped to a 12-year low of 14,269 in 2019. The Swiss migration office explained the 6.5% drop in numbers from 2018 by the decrease in asylum seekers from the Mediterranean zone and a migration treaty between Turkey and the European Union.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Most asylum seekers (2,899) came from Eritrea, with Afghanistan (1,397), Turkey (1,287) and Syria (1,100) also featuring prominently among applicants.
In March of last year, Switzerland introduced new laws dealing with asylum seekers, speeding up the majority of requests from 400 days to 140 days. Most of the simpler asylum cases are now dealt with in new bigger federal reception centres that can take up to 5,000 people. Asylum seekers are also granted free legal aid.
Of the 19,140 cases processed last year (some cases dated back from applications in previous years), some 5,837 were conducted using the new procedures, the State Secretariat for MigrationExternal link (SEM) reported on Friday.
In total, 5,551 people were accepted for asylum in 2019, while a similar proportion of people to 2018 left Switzerland voluntarily, were returned to their home country or a third nation. The number of cases pending fell by 3,000 to 8,377.
SEM expects around 15,000 asylum applications this year. Switzerland intends to accept 180 further victims of the Syrian conflict to meet its commitment to take in 2,800 refugees from this region.
More
More
How well does the new Swiss asylum system work?
This content was published on
The Swiss asylum policy was streamlined in last March to accelerate the procedure, but critics have raised serious objections.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
Sharp hike in number of protected historic monuments in Switzerland
This content was published on
In 2022, there were close to 91,000 protected historic monuments in Switzerland, 21% more than in 2016, said the Federal Statistical Office.
Switzerland adopts further EU sanctions against Russia
This content was published on
Switzerland has added several dozen names to its list of sanctioned persons or entities from Russia after adopting the amendments made by the European Union.
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.
Read more
More
Speedier asylum process voted in
This content was published on
On Sunday, 66.8% of voters backed a legal amendment to reform asylum procedures, which was passed by parliament last year but challenged by the conservative right Swiss People’s Party. Nationwide turnout was 46%. Under the proposal, most asylum requests should be decided within 140 days of being submitted, including time for appeals – compared with…
This content was published on
The Swiss asylum policy was streamlined in last March to accelerate the procedure, but critics have raised serious objections.
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.