Switzerland to reopen three asylum centres

Capacity at asylum centres is being used up Keystone / Christian Beutler

Switzerland is reopening three federal asylum centres to respond to the seasonal increase in applications. Nine centres were closed during the winter as the rate of applications fell.

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“As expected, the number of asylum applications has begun to increase due to seasonal factors,” the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said. As a result, it has decided to reopen three centres that had temporarily closed over the past few weeks.

+ Asylum in Switzerland: the key figures

The SEM has recorded an increase in demand in recent weeks. Across the country, the occupancy rate of the 30 operational centres is currently around 73%. It has already risen to nearly 80% in the regions of French-speaking Switzerland, Zurich, Ticino, and central Switzerland.

The SEM plans to reopen the Moudon barracks, Dübendorf barracks and the Eigenthal centre. Each of these locations can accommodate 200 people.

Once these centres are operational, the SEM will have nearly 7,500 accommodation places. Switzerland will also be able to continue to take charge of some Ukrainian nationals seeking protection to ease the burden on cantons.

The temporary closure decided in the winter had reduced operating costs by nearly CHF25 million. The SEM’s forecasts for 2025, which are based on approximately 24,000 asylum applications and 12,000 applications for S protection status, remain unchanged.

Adapted from French by DeepL/mga

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