What is your opinion of Switzerland’s asylum system?
Which political responses are needed to ensure the fundamental human rights of asylum-seekers and to manage the worries of the Swiss population in face of recent refugee arrivals? Join the discussion on "dialogue", an offer by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), SWI swissinfo.ch's parent company.
In August, 3,001 asylum applications were registered in Switzerland, 47% more than in August 2022. Most asylum-seekers reach Switzerland via the Balkan route. As many were stranded en route owing to the pandemic, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is now seeing a “catch-up” effect. Besides the refugees taking the Balkan route, images showing refugees arriving on Lampedusa via the Central Mediterranean route are reaching us daily.
The number of asylum-seekers arriving in Europe has reached record levels this year, putting a strain on reception arrangements of European Union countries, particularly Italy and Greece. In Switzerland, the federal government expects numbers to rise in the coming weeks and therefore is looking for 1,800 additional accommodation places in the cantons. In the meantime, NGOs working on behalf of asylum-seekers point out a certain severity in Switzerland regarding very specific population groups, for example Afghans.
With the Swiss asylum system and the current situation in mind, the “dialogue” service of the SBC offers you a thematic selection on the subject, with content from all over Switzerland translated into the four national languages and English.
>>> Click here to go to “dialogueExternal link“.
As part of its “dialogue” offer, the SBC lets you share your ideas on its online discussion forum, which is moderated – your comments are not automatically published in order to avoid harassment, insults and trolls – and translated into the four national languages and English.
So, what do you think? Is Switzerland a country of asylum? Does it need more regulations? Or should more resources be provided for the reception and integration of asylum-seekers? And if so, how can the needs of asylum-seekers be identified and met?
>>> Click here to join the debateExternal link
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