Asylum applications from Afghan women continue to rise year-on-year
Published: Thursday, May 16th 2024, 11:20
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In April, the number of asylum applications rose by a good 38 percent compared to the previous year. A third of the applications came from people from Afghanistan. Around 400 of these 747 applications were related to a change in practice by the authorities.
Since summer 2023, Afghan women and girls have been granted asylum in Switzerland on a case-by-case basis and can be joined by their spouses and children. The change in practice by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) follows a recommendation by the European Asylum Agency (EUAA).
The change in practice is reflected in the federal asylum statistics. According to a statement issued on Thursday, 2283 asylum applications were registered in Switzerland in April 2024. This was 4.2 percent less than in the previous month. However, the number of asylum applications rose by 38.3 percent compared to April 2023 - i.e. before the change in practice for Afghans.
According to the SEM, around 400 of the 747 asylum applications from Afghan asylum seekers in April 2024 were related to the change in practice. This is politically controversial. A strong SVP/FDP minority in the responsible National Council committee would like to reverse it. The National Council will decide on this in the summer session.
In addition to Afghanistan, Turkey, Eritrea, Algeria and Morocco were the main countries of origin of people who applied for asylum in April, according to the SEM. In the same month, 867 refugees from Ukraine were also granted S protection status, and in 1115 cases this was terminated. The protection status of 109 people seeking protection was rejected because the criteria were not met.
Fewer illegal entries
Also on Thursday, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) published the latest figures on irregular migration into Switzerland. According to the figures, the authorities apprehended 1570 people who entered the country illegally in April. This was fewer than in the previous month and also fewer than in April 2023.
According to a statement, irregular border crossings continued to take place primarily at the southern border in Ticino, where they increased slightly compared to March. Syrian nationals were the most common among migrants who entered Switzerland illegally in April.
©Keystone/SDA
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