While the overall number of such cases rose by 10%, the larger number of occupants in the centres in 2022 meant the numbers dropped proportionally by a half, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) told the Keystone-SDA news agency. Newspapers from the Tamedia group initially reported the figures.
In 2021, some 1,591 problematic incidents were recorded during 766,497 overnight stays; in 2022, there was a total of 2,064 incidents for 1.7 million stays.
Such incidents include violent acts, harassment, aggressive behaviour, insults and threats.
Prevention
SEM says the proportional decrease is in part thanks to preventive measures, such as the presence of conflict mediation officers or Muslim counsellors in asylum centres.
In 2022, overall asylum requests in Switzerland increased by 64%. Some 75,000 Ukrainians also arrived in the country on a special “S” permit. While people from Maghreb states accounted for 8% of all overnight stays, they accounted for 65% of security incidents; Ukrainians, who made up 12% of stays, were involved in 0.4% of reported incidents.
On Tuesday, SEM published a forecast for asylum figures in 2023, when it expects to see between 24,000 and 40,000 new requests lodged.
More
More
Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants: challenging the misinformation
This content was published on
What’s the difference between a migrant and a refugee? Who hosts the most refugees? This week’s Inside Geneva untangles some migration myths.
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
This content was published on
The large influx of refugees has filled accommodation centres to bursting point, obliging the Swiss authorities to distribute more asylum seekers to cantons.
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.