Anni Lanz, a 74 year old activist from Basel, was caught bringing a failed Afghan asylum seeker back to Switzerland in violation of Swiss law in February 2018. The man, a former soldier from Afghanistan, who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, found himself sleeping on the streets of Milan after his Swiss asylum application […]
Steep drop in asylum requests in Switzerland
Recent figures show a steep decline in the number of people applying for asylum in Switzerland during the coronavirus crisis. During April 2020, 332 asylum requests were made in Switzerland, 65.5% fewer than in March 2020 and 70.3% fewer than during April 2019, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The main originating countries […]
Question of the week: what happens to failed asylum seekers in Switzerland?
A recent report by Switzerland’s federal migration commission looks at this question. Between 2008 and 2017, around 180,000 asylum seekers left Switzerland, mostly because their applications failed. Around 92,000 left in a “controlled” manner, most (80%) voluntarily with no support. The remaining 20% were given money to help them leave and resettle in their home […]
Initiative to house asylum seekers outside Switzerland
This week, a group of politicians from the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) announced a new popular initiative aimed at asylum seekers, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. The initiative aims to put in place a system of on-the-spot asylum assistance where asylum seekers are housed in secure zones in their home country or nearby. Switzerland […]
Fine upheld against activist returning to Switzerland with expelled Afghan
A fine of CHF 800 imposed on Anni Lanz by the authorities in Brig in December 2018 was unheld by a judge in Sion last week, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. The 74 year old activist from Basel was caught bringing a failed Afghan asylum seeker back to Switzerland in violation of Swiss law. The […]
Asylum requests down in Switzerland
The latest figures on second quarter asylum requests in Switzerland show a drop of 11% compared to the same quarter in 2018. In the second quarter of 2019, there were 3,347 requests, according to the government. Eritrea, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka were the three leading countries of origin. In June, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration […]
Swiss parliament accepts plan to strip asylum rights from those travelling home
A proposition put forward by the Swiss people’s party (UDC/SVP) to strip asylum from those travelling to their home country was accepted by 129 members of the National Council and rejected by 57. The UDC argued that returning home for a holiday or to visit parents proves the refugee is not threatened or persecuted there […]
Drop in emergency benefits paid to asylum seekers in Switzerland
In 2017, 8,499 asylum seekers in Switzerland were given emergency financial assistance costing CHF 64 million, according to Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). For new asylum seekers, emergency financial support lasted an average of 137 days. The total number receiving emergency financial assistance fell by 18% compared to 2016. The cost was also down […]
Asylum demands down 30 percent in Switzerland
20 Minutes. Switzerland received 27,207 requests for asylum in 2016, 31% fewer than the year before. In 2017, The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) expects around 24,500. The decline is related to the partial closure of the migration route through the Balkans, said SEM, particularly towards the end of the year. The number in December […]
One refugee’s Swiss story
Dersim Avdar came to Switzerland as a refugee 22 years ago. After completing a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at the University of St. Gallen, including studies in Madrid and Beijing, he now works in the investment industry in Zurich. Evangeline de Macedo interviewed him to get his story. When did you come to Switzerland? […]
