Free choice? Reasons for flight and status
Where do refugees come from?
Top originating countries asylum seekers
Each year, the State Secretariat for Migration indicates the main countries of origin of individuals counted in «new asylum applications.».
For several years, Afghanistan, Turkey, Eritrea, Syria, Algeria, and Sri Lanka have represented the majority of requests.
N.B. Please note that these data include primary and secondary applications. Secondary applications consist, for example, of the births of babies to individuals already in Switzerland, whether they are asylum seekers themselves or have already obtained protection status, sometimes for several years (refugee status or provisional admission).. This is mostly the case for Eritreans. In 2023, one-third of applications originating from Afghanistan came from women and girls already in Switzerland with an F permit (temporary admission), who can obtain refugee status, which is more stable, according to the law.
Our section statistics Propose various infographics illustrating the evolution of asylum requests for the most represented nationalities in Switzerland, along with a summary contextualization of the situation in these countries of origin explaining the variations. Below is the main table. (See Characteristics of asylum applications)
Switzerland's recognition rate for the need for protection for these various nationalities demonstrates that most applications are deemed legitimate in light of the reasons for flight alleged by asylum seekers, whether due to individual grounds for persecution (leading to refugee status) or due to risks related to conflicts or war (temporary admission).
N.B.: The calculation of the recognition rate for protection needs by Vivre Ensemble differs from that of the SEM. To learn more, click here here.
Information on countries of origin
To have reliable and impartial information on the situation prevailing in the countries of origin Asylum seekers is inseparable from any asylum policy. When examining an application for protection, the State receiving the application will indeed assess it by taking into account its knowledge of the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by the countries of origin of the asylum seekers. To this end, it collects information and produces various reports on the situation. This is referred to as »country of origin information (Country of Origin Information (COI)).
Numerous institutions (international organizations, non-governmental organizations, associations) produce reports on the situation in countries of origin. These can lead authorities and the justice system to modify their practices or case law. You will find various links in the Documentary resources, allowing searches by country of origin.
The reliability of information is crucial. In this regard, rules and criteria have been established for States, administrations, and human rights defenders, who must be able to rely on accurate information to understand the situation in the asylum seeker's country of origin and the circumstances that led them to flee, but also to effectively assist asylum seekers in their applications for protection.
With the internet, the amount of available information is immense, and tools are needed to assess its reliability and impartiality. Various organizations have developed manuals and training for this purpose, particularly ecoi.net (The Country of Origin Information System of the Austrian Red Cross’ Department ACCORD).
In 2008, some EU common guidelines on the processing of Country of Origin Information (COI), which Switzerland has participated in, have been published. They establish minimum rules to be respected by states in terms of the reliability, impartiality, and rigor of information (see also the SEM page on information on countries of origin).
Despite these norms and guidelines, the reliability of Product or used reports by Switzerland is regularly questioned, particularly during appeals to the TAF who can overturn decisions by the SEM. This is the case when country information is not substantiated, is incomplete or unverified. The appeals body also establishes, within the framework of landmark judgments, the policy that the federal administration must follow in the asylum procedure (hearings, assessments, returns) concerning certain countries.
Living Together publish World Chronicles in many countries of exile in each edition of his magazine. Short, factual texts, themed and containing various documentary links.
