Asylum applications rise again
The number of asylum seekers arriving in Switzerland has increased in the third quarter by almost 40 per cent over the previous three months.
More than 4,400 applications have been handed in, according to the Federal Migration Office, making a total so far this year of 10,351 – up 29.4 per cent on 2007.
The largest number of asylum seekers came from Eritrea, with 704, followed by Somalia, 551, and Serbia and Kosovo, 405.
By contrast, the number of approved applications dropped by four per cent in the third quarter and repatriations increased compared with 2007.
Last month Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf called for a tightening of asylum regulations as the number of applications rises.
She said Swiss embassies abroad should no longer accept asylum requests, and proceedings within the Federal Migration Office should be made more efficient.
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