Asylum seeker requests could be reduced if Switzerland handled applications more quickly, the Swiss Refugee Council says.
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The rapid treatment of cases that don’t meet requirements could deter other refugees from travelling to Switzerland, the council’s secretary-general Beat Meiner said on Tuesday.
Applicants would think twice about making the journey to Switzerland, which involves effort and money, if they knew they could be made to leave within two weeks, he said, adding that the Swiss system took too long and lacked personnel.
He recommended following the Dutch model in which applicants must be dealt with by authorities within a certain timeframe or they are automatically given the right to stay longer, which acts as an incentive for authorities.
Meiner said there needed to be more Swiss registration centres and more staff.
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