Federal government draws positive interim balance on 24-hour asylum procedure
Published: Friday, Mar 1st 2024, 17:20
Volver a Live Feed
A pilot project for an accelerated asylum procedure for people from the Maghreb has led to the desired relief at the Federal Asylum Center (BAZ) in Zurich. The number of people from the countries concerned fell by more than half.
The pilot project launched in November 2023 came to an end at the end of February, according to a fact sheet published on Friday by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The 24-hour procedure used at the BAZ Zurich applied to asylum seekers from Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Toussin.
According to an initial interim assessment, the number of people from these countries has halved in the BAZ Zurich, while it has only fallen slightly in other BAZs.
Process duration significantly shortened
Carrying out the most important procedural steps within 24 hours has significantly shortened the average overall duration of the procedure. In addition, the persons concerned are more willing to talk at the beginning of the procedure. This makes it easier to conduct discussions.
Asylum seekers from Maghreb countries are rarely granted the right to stay in Switzerland. In 2023, over 6,000 people from these countries registered at a BAZ. According to the press release, this corresponds to more than a fifth of all registrations. Only 14 people from these countries were granted the right to stay in the same period.
According to the SEM, asylum seekers from Maghreb countries are involved in an above-average number of security-related incidents in the BAZ. Some of them are conspicuous outside the centers with repeated crimes such as shoplifting or burglaries.
©Keystone/SDA