|
United Kingdom |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Home Office amended its guidance on assessing the ages of asylum claimants who have no valid documentary evidence of age and where their claims to be children are doubted. This included the specification that a person being assessed on their physical appearance and demeanour must appear to be at least 25 years or older to be treated as an adult. Prior to this amendment, a person needed to appear to be significantly older than 18 years to allow an assessment of age. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Resettlement and humanitarian admissions |
The 2022-2023 resettlement programme was approved for the resettlement of 1,600 refugees focusing on three or five primary host countries. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
An amendment to Ordinance 1 on asylum settles the implementation rules for video surveillance in federal reception centres. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Switzerland significantly increased the number of accommodation places for asylum applicants and persons in need of temporary protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
Afghan evacuees were provided with a special temporary residence permit, allowing the newcomers to apply for international protection later once in the country. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
Legislation was amended to allow for detention at the border for up to 3 days without a judicial review and without a written order. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Federal Administrative Court published its report on the evaluation of the asylum appeals procedure after the reform of the asylum procedure entered into force in 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
Negative decisions on Afghan nationals were suspended. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Federal Council adopted its opinion on a report by the Political Institutions Committee of the Council of States concerning a parliamentary initiative on granting the same family reunification regimes to beneficiaries of international protection and persons with temporary admission. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A draft amendment would allow persons with temporary admission to change their assigned canton if they follow a long-term vocational training or are employed in another canton |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
The Federal Council modified the assessment for fitness to travel of persons who are returned or expelled. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
An amendment from 2018 to the Asylum Act entered into force on 1 April 2020, which enables the State Secretariat for Migration to pronounce a general travel ban for a group of refugees from a certain country of origin (particularly to neighbouring countries of that country of origin), if there is a well-founded doubt that the travel ban to the country of origin is not respected. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) decided that the granting of free legal advice should also apply to persons who file an asylum application from detention. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Amendments to the Swiss Federal Act on Foreigners and Integration were adopted, imposing a general travel ban on persons with temporary admission as of 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Resettlement and humanitarian admissions |
Resettled refugees were temporarily hosted in cantonal reception facilities due to a lack of accommodation in Swiss federal reception centres. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A draft amendment would explicitly include that applicants are under a general travel ban and they could only travel if this is necessary for the asylum procedure or for their removal. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) started to assign some applicants for international protection to cantons at an earlier stage to alleviate overcrowding in federal reception centres. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Institutional |
|
Content of protection |
The Federal Council approved financial support for integration measures, including contributions to cantonal programmes which promote employment. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
Switzerland launched a pilot programme for the employment integration of refugees and persons with temporary admission and concluded subsidy contracts with 14 cantons. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
A draft amendment to the Asylum Act would allow the State Secretariat for Migration to access and analyse data from applicants' mobile phones, in order to verify their identity, with full respect of the principle of necessity and proportionality, and in compliance with the right to respect for private and family life. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
The Federal Council announced that it will not create a legal basis in the Law for Foreigners and Integration for the introduction of electronic bracelets as an alternative to administrative detention. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Switzerland introduced specific policies for the vaccination of asylum applicants, specifying that vaccines are free of charge, on a voluntary basis and by registration to receive an appointment |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The State Secretariat for Migration presented the results of the first evaluation of the law that reformed the asylum procedure in 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
An amendment to the ordinance on implementation of return and expulsion of foreigners settles access rights, data security and data retention of the new information system, eRetour. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
An amendment to the ordinance on delivering travel documents for foreigners clarified when refugees under a travel ban can still receive an exceptional authorisation to travel to a country falling under that travel ban. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |