40 million francs saved Confederation closes nine temporary federal asylum centers
The State Secretariat for Migration is closing nine temporary federal asylum centers across Switzerland with a total of 1,735 accommodation places by the beginning of March. Due to the closure of the infrastructures, the federal government expects savings in the double-digit million range.
22.10.2024, 09:05
22.10.2024, 09:20
SDA
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- Due to falling asylum numbers, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is closing nine federal asylum centers from January 2025.
- The occupancy rate of the centers is only 51 percent and the migration routes do not indicate an increase in applications.
- Around 200 employees of the affected centers are affected by the closure, and their continued employment is being reviewed.
Around 40 million Swiss francs per year are at stake, as the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) explained on Tuesday when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The SEM justifies the closures with the lower than expected asylum numbers in the fall of the current year. According to the SEM, 23 percent fewer applications were submitted in August than in the previous year, and even 40 percent fewer in September.
The occupancy rate of the federal asylum centers (BAZ) is currently 51 percent throughout Switzerland. The situation on the migration routes to Western Europe does not indicate a sharp increase in the coming months.
The federal government will begin closing the accommodation facilities from the end of January 2025, which will affect around 200 employees of the service providers mandated by the SEM in the BAZ, it added. How many of them will continue to be employed at other locations is still being examined.
The affected accommodation facilities are located in Dübendorf ZH, in the city of Zurich, in Eigenthal LU, Bremgarten AG, Allschwil BL, Steckborn TG, Beringen SH as well as in Bure JU and Plan-les-Ouates GE. Following the closure of the nine temporary BAZ locations, the SEM will have around 7,000 places available to accommodate asylum and protection seekers from the beginning of March.
However, in the event of a sudden, sharp increase in asylum applications, this number could be "increased again depending on requirements" in cooperation with the army and the cantons. The SEM is constantly monitoring the situation.
