As the Taliban tightens its grip on life in Afghanistan more Afghans feel the need to leave. Of the 3.568 asylum applications made in Switzerland in November 2022, 1,266 (35%) were made by Afghans, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Nearly all of those arriving from Afghanistan are young males. Women, who have […]
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 […]
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 […]
Swiss farm job programme for asylum seekers a success
A new programme, based on a pilot project which ran for three years, has been launched. The programme will help asylum seekers to work on Swiss farms. Five Swiss cantons have signed up to the programme, which offers asylum seekers entry level farming apprenticeships. 12 have already signed up to start in August. The five […]
Refugees in Switzerland who return home to face tougher treatment
Switzerland is set to get tougher on refugees who return to their home country. Swiss law already strips someone who voluntarily does this of refugee status. Anyone voluntarily returning home is assumed to no longer be persecuted in that state and therefore no longer in need of refugee status. This week a States Council commission […]
Swiss cantons to get more money for refugees. Not everyone is happy.
Switzerland’s federal government has decided to increase the amount it gives cantons for each refugee, which includes accepted refugees and asylum seekers. Currently, it provides a one-off payment of CHF 6,000. Soon this will increase to CHF 18,000, according to the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP). At the same time, federal assistance to […]
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? […]
First refugees from Greece arrive in Switzerland
Tribune de Genève. Switzerland welcomes the first 28 refugees from Greece, as part of the EU programme to resettle refugees across nations party to the EU agreement on refugees, known as the Dublin Regulation. According to Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), they were moved from Greece to Switzerland late last week. 112 asylum seekers from […]
Migration crisis: 2,000 soldiers to cover Switzerland’s borders
Tribune de Genève. In the event of a large increase in migrants flowing to Switzerland, around 2,000 soldiers must be ready to help border control staff, said Switzerland’s federal council, or cabinet, on Wednesday. The federal council has asked the Swiss department of defense to prepare for such an event. Last Thursday, Bern, the cantons, towns and communes […]
Switzerland turns away hundreds of Afghan refugees
Tribune de Genève. Around 1,800 refugees have been intercepted trying to cross into Switzerland over the last four weeks, and almost a quarter have been sent back to Germany, which has a policy of favouring Syrians. Swiss border guards have stopped around 1,800 refugees along Switzerland’s northern border over the last four weeks. 444 have been […]
