Number of people entering Switzerland illegally remains high
Published: Wednesday, Jan 17th 2024, 11:30
Volver a Live Feed
The number of refugees and migrants entering Switzerland illegally fell slightly last year from a high level. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) reported 50,185 apprehensions - almost 2,000 or 3.6 percent fewer than in the previous year.
Migrants with Afghan citizenship were the most strongly represented in the statistics on illegal stays published on Wednesday. Almost every third person apprehended came from Afghanistan. People from Morocco and Turkey each accounted for one in eight illegal stays.
People who wish to apply for asylum are referred by the border guards to the nearest federal asylum center. Depending on the canton, the others are transferred to the responsibility of the competent cantonal authorities or are turned away, after which the person apprehended must leave Switzerland within a certain period of time. Last year, the Border Guard handed over 7614 people to foreign authorities, an increase of 1355 people or around 22% compared to 2022.
Suspected cases of people smuggling decreased in 2023 compared to the previous year. 388 suspected traffickers were stopped, as can be seen from the FOCA figures - compared to 476 in the previous year. These individuals were generally handed over to the competent cantonal police force or, if a corresponding cantonal agreement had been reached, were reported independently to the competent public prosecutor's office by the FOCA.
More staff in Ticino
Many migrants were apprehended in Ticino. According to earlier information from the FOCA, the fact that more illegal entries were counted in Ticino than before was mainly due to a shift in migration routes within the Balkans. Until October 2022, the route from Serbia via Hungary and Austria was the most important route to Europe.
This changed after that. For some time now, refugees and migrants have mainly chosen the route from Serbia via Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia to Italy and further north. The federal government therefore strengthened border protection in Ticino.
In the fall of 2023, the then Minister of Justice Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said that the situation was under control. "We are far from a catastrophic situation." It was not a question of hordes of customs officers moving from the north to the south. Rather, "a few additional people" would relieve the burden on employees in Ticino.
Most of them travel on
Only around three percent of migrants identified at the southern border apply for asylum in Switzerland. The vast majority just want to cross the country - and travel on to France or the UK.
The Schengen states are currently working on a reform of the asylum system in order to be able to react to crises. The Federal Council hopes that the new European migration agreement, to which Switzerland is a party, will lead to a fairer distribution of the migration burden.
Until then, the Confederation should be able to provide temporary support for departure centers in extraordinary situations where migrants have to wait to be returned to a neighbouring country. The Federal Council proposes up to one hundred francs per person per day.
Other countries have also recently reacted to the worsening situation. Germany, for example, introduced border controls with Switzerland in mid-October. Berlin wants to combat irregular immigration and people smuggling.
Migration pressure remains high
The analysis of the general migration situation in Switzerland is primarily the responsibility of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). It expects the number of asylum applications in Switzerland in 2024 to be similar to last year's forecast - i.e. 28,000 to 30,000 applications.
Although the number of asylum seekers is currently still at a very high level, it usually stabilizes in winter before rising again when travel conditions are easier. Forecasts are difficult due to the current trouble spots in Ukraine, the Middle East and various African countries.
Migration pressure is unlikely to decrease in the short to medium term. Accommodation for asylum seekers has been at its limit at times in recent months.
©Keystone/SDA
Spanish 
English 
German 
French 
Arabic