The Federal Migration Office said the church federation had agreed to take the mandate for a six-month trial period and would be assisted by the non-governmental Refugee Council.
Former police and justice directors or law professors will carry out the tasks for the federation, according to a statement on Wednesday.
In March 2010 Swiss migration authorities announced they were seeking independent observers to accompany such deportation flights in line with a European Union directive.
The regulation was due to come into effect earlier this year but was delayed after NGOs such as Amnesty International rejected the mandate.
Last year Switzerland temporarily suspended deportation flights following the death of a Nigerian asylum seeker at Zurich airport. The flights resumed in June 2010 and have since included a doctor on board.
Around 50 deportation flights take place every year.
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Observers to monitor deportation flights
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Authorities say the change in procedure has nothing to do with the death of a Nigerian man at Zurich airport last week, but is based on a European Union directive. The man and 15 others had been due to take a special flight out of the country¨on Wednesday. “An independent observer will likely be present…
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Following a meeting on Monday with Nigerian Foreign Minister Henry Odein Ajumogobia, Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga told a news conference that the forced deportations of Nigerians residing illegally in Switzerland would be continued. Nigerians represent the largest national group of asylum seekers in Switzerland. In 2010, a total of 1,969 Nigerian citizens asked for…
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After the incident on Wednesday, the Federal Migration Office in Bern ordered a halt to the special flights and said it regretted the man’s death. The 29-year-old man, who had been on a hunger strike in protest at his extradition, fell ill shortly after he was forcibly restrained. Immediate attempts to resuscitate him failed and…
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The book Migration in Pictures conveys a playful and at times inscrutable look into Switzerland’s migrant community. The picture essays of 12 photographers are complemented by journalistic and scientific contributions. The book was published by “Here and Now” in 2006.
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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.