Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans (centre) on Wednesday in Bern.
Keystone / Anthony Anex
The government wants to save around CHF700 million ($770 million) by the end of 2028 by better integrating refugees from Ukraine and other countries into the labour market and processing asylum applications more quickly. Further cost-cutting proposals are to follow.
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Keystone-SDA
Swiss expenditure on asylum has risen in recent years, and according to the government this trend is likely to continue, particularly in the areas of social welfare and integration. The number of asylum and protection applications is meanwhile unlikely to drop due to the many crisis hotspots around the world.
In an attempt to ensure that costs do not get out of hand, ministers approved a package of measures on Wednesday, one of which is to achieve a net saving of CHF54 million by the end of 2026 by processing asylum applications more quickly.
The government also expects substantial savings to result from measures to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with “protection status S”.
Overall it anticipates reduced expenditure to the tune of around CHF650 million by 2028. The justice ministry, which is responsible for this area, is to submit further savings proposals by the end of the year.
Adapted from German by DeepL/dkk/dos
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