The war in Ukraine, the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan or the consequences of the global climate crisis push millions of people to go into exile to join safer countries. In Switzerland, who are these refugees looking for a shelter?
When disasters strike the world, Switzerland also feels the effects as a country seen as a refuge. But who arrives in the Confederation, and who is authorized to stay there?
To answer these questions, the Data team of the German -style public channel SRF updates a series of graphicswhich illustrate the main developments in the field of asylum in Switzerland.
Who is currently in the asylum process?
We can see the asylum process like a huge administrative hall. Anyone requesting asylum in Switzerland enters this hall and often comes out only after several years with a decision.
The number of people currently integrated into the asylum procedure in Switzerland has never been so high for decades. The arrival, from February 2022, of many Ukrainians and Ukrainians fleeing the war is the main reason.
How many new asylum requests are filed each month?
The number of new requestspDaring each month is an essential indicator of the evolution of the situation in the field of asylum. These data have been published monthly by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) since 2013. Annual statistics have been around since 1994.
Please note: the vast majority of people from Ukraine obtain the status of protection S, which grants immediate provisional protection without having to go through an asylum procedure. This is why they do not appear in the following graphics.
On this last graph, there is clearly, for example, the Kosovo War in 1998/1999 and the European migration crisis in late 2015, which led to a sharp increase in the number of people requesting asylum in Switzerland.
Where do people ask for asylum come from?
Many of the ten countries where the most refugee people are currently involved in regional conflicts.
The presence of an already well established diaspora also helps to explain that certain nationalities more often require asylum in Switzerland than others.
What asylum requests are granted, and when?
In summary, an asylum application can receive three types of response:
– The request for the applicant is acceptedshe then obtained the recognized status of refugee.
– The demand is rejected And the person is returned.
– The request is rejected, but the person is authorized to remain temporarilybecause a referral would be unacceptable for humanitarian reasons – for example if the person risks torture or in the event of war in their country of origin.
While some nationalities are unlikely to obtain asylum, for others, decisions are very variable on a case -by -case basis.
Article original: SRF Data
French translation: Pauline Turban (Swi)
