A family in a Swiss asylum seekers' centre in 2016.
Keystone
The number of asylum requests filed in Switzerland was 7,820 in the first half of 2018, down 14.3% on the same period of the previous year.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-ATS/RTS/JC
According to figures released on Friday by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEMExternal link), the drop in asylum requests was even bigger in June, down 23.7% on the same month of last year.
This is in line with recent trends in other European countries.
The SEM nevertheless warned that despite the decrease, “the evolution of the situation in conflict regions and on the migration routes remains uncertain”.
The countries of origin of asylum seekers have not changed significantly. Out of 1,246 asylum seekers filing requests in June, there were 222 Eritreans (- 52), 122 Afghans (+ 31), 112 Syrians (- 2), 101 Georgians (+ 12) and 71 Sri Lankans (+ 15).
SEM said that by the end of June, Switzerland had received 972 of the 2,000 particularly vulnerable people from Syria and neighbouring countries it agreed to take by the end of 2018 as part of a resettlement programme of the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
Also as part of an emergency plan, SEM said 37 people evacuated from Libya via Niger arrived on June 27 and would be included in the statistics for July. The Swiss government agreed last December to take up to 80 vulnerable people from Libya as part of a UNHCR emergency plan to evacuate migrants from Libyan detention centres. Forty arrived earlier this year, at the beginning of April.
More
More
Libya’s migrants: Swiss role in Europe’s response
This content was published on
As Switzerland receives a first group of refugees from Libyan detention centres, we look at the international response to the crisis.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Common species vital for stability of food webs, study shows
This content was published on
The loss of common flora and fauna can make food webs unstable, with big consequences for entire ecosystems, a Swiss study has shown.
This content was published on
Overall spending on building fell slightly last year, with trends showing more money flowing into renovations than new buildings.
This content was published on
Foreign trade dipped from April to June in terms of exports and imports, with the trend largely driven by the chemicals and pharma sector.
Former Vatican auditor cleared of bribery in Zurich trial
This content was published on
The Zurich District Court acquitted a former financial markets supervisor at the Vatican of charges of corruption and bribery.
This content was published on
The President of the Swiss Conference of Bishops wants a national digital register of clergy – in the interest of transparency.
Eritrean military service no grounds for asylum, rules Swiss court
This content was published on
Rejected Eritrean asylum seekers may still be deported to their home country even if they face being called up for compulsory national service.
Switzerland says no to relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece
This content was published on
According to the SonntagsBlick paper, a spokesperson from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has confirmed that currently Switzerland has no plans to renew its commitment to accept asylum seekers from southern European countries. The Alpine nation had participated in the first such relocation programme in 2015, pledging to take in 1,500 asylum seekers from Italy and…
Swiss justice minister sees positive signs in EU migration deal
This content was published on
“The strengthening of the EU’s external borders must not lead to a closure of borders to refugees,” said Sommaruga on Friday. She said that welcoming those that faced persecution was one of Europe’s fundamental values and Switzerland is committed to not go back on this. The member of the seven-member government also pointed out that…
What asylum seekers learn about life, work and love in Switzerland
This content was published on
Integrating into Swiss society can be complex, especially for people who have just arrived from countries like Syria, Afghanistan or Eritrea.
Committee blasts detention of young rejected asylum seekers
This content was published on
A Swiss parliamentary committee has criticised the use of administrative detention to hold young rejected asylum seekers saying it goes too far.
Refugees and locals learn to live together in Swiss town
This content was published on
Bex was one of the first towns in the region to have an asylum seekers' centre and its foreign population is relatively high. So do people get along?
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.