Last year 14,928 people applied for asylum in the Alpine nation, 3,887 more than in 2020. The number of applications surpasses the level of 2019 (14,269).
The rise in the number of requests was primarily due to “less drastic” travel restrictions, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said in a statementExternal link on Tuesday.
Over the past 12 months requests were mainly from people from Afghanistan (3,079, including family reunions and births), Turkey, Eritrea, Syria and Algeria.
A total of 1,380 people arrived in Switzerland under an international resettlement programme, mostly Syrians, Afghans and Sudanese nationals.
Overall, the number of asylum-related departures from Switzerland increased by 14.3% compared with 2020. A total of 973 people left Switzerland voluntarily (2020: 1,051 people). In all, 1,655 people were returned either to their state of origin or to a third state (2020: 1,518 people) and 1,127 to a so-called Dublin state (2020: 715 people).
Crisis and conflict
This year SEM expects around 16,500 asylum requests.
“Given the multitude of centres of crisis and conflict that exist in the Near East, the Middle East and on the African continent, the potential for migration to Europe remains high,” it said.
The number of arrivals in Switzerland will largely depend on the development of migration to Greece, Bulgaria and southern Italy as well as secondary migration via the Balkan route and Italy, SEM said. The Covid-19 pandemic could also have an impact on the volume and staggering of requests.
More
More
Bern and Vienna vow to boost cooperation on migrants and terrorism
This content was published on
Switzerland and Austria want to strengthen cooperation on migration and security, they said on Tuesday.
This content was published on
F/A-18 fighter jets will practice take offs and landings on the A1 motorway between Payerne and Avenches in canton Vaud on June 5.
Swisscom finalises financing for Vodafone Italia takeover
This content was published on
Telecoms group Swisscom has taken the next step in its takeover of Vodafone Italia and secured financing for the deal, the company said on Thursday.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
This content was published on
The outgoing head of Switzerland’s migration secretariat says the country should see around 15,000 applications for asylum next year.
This content was published on
Switzerland does not expect a sustained wave of Afghan refugees despite large numbers crossing the border in recent months.
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.