Swiss migration data show that 80.5% of asylum seekers from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have been accused of at least one offense, compared with 12.5% of asylum seekers overall, as authorities pursue faster processing and tougher deportation measures for repeat offenders.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
More than four out of five asylum seekers from several North African countries have been accused of at least one criminal offense in Switzerland, according to government migration data that are intensifying scrutiny of the country’s asylum and deportation system.
Figures from Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration, or SEM, show that 80.5% of asylum seekers from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have been accused of one or more offenses.
That rate is substantially higher than the figure for the overall asylum-seeking population, among whom 12.5% have been accused of at least one offense.
The figures refer to accusations of offenses and do not necessarily represent criminal convictions.
The disparity is particularly significant because asylum claims from the three North African countries are also overwhelmingly unsuccessful.
According to Swiss newspaper Blick, approximately 99% of asylum applications submitted by nationals of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are rejected by Swiss authorities.
The combination of low asylum-approval rates and high levels of alleged offending has prompted Switzerland to accelerate the processing of cases involving applicants from those countries.
In 2024, authorities introduced what has become known as the “24-hour” procedure for asylum seekers whose applications are considered to have little likelihood of succeeding.
The accelerated system is intended to allow officials to examine and decide those cases much more rapidly than under the standard asylum process.
Applicants retain the right to appeal, however, and appeals can substantially extend the amount of time required before a case reaches a final resolution.
“Criminals must leave Switzerland quickly. This is a priority of the asylum strategy,” SEM spokesperson Daniel Bach said.
Swiss officials say enforcement can also be complicated when applicants fail to cooperate with immigration procedures.
Some asylum seekers have refused to provide fingerprints, missed appointments associated with deportation proceedings or left Switzerland before authorities completed their cases.
Applicants can also interfere with accelerated processing by declining to participate in required procedures.
Authorities say that when individuals refuse fingerprinting, fail to appear for appointments or quickly leave the country, their asylum requests may be closed without completing the normal formal process.
Switzerland is now preparing additional measures intended to speed the removal of asylum seekers accused of repeated offenses.
Among the proposals is the “systematic use of coercive measures against the perpetrators of repeated offenses.”
Officials are also considering stricter standards governing administrative detention, which can be used in immigration cases to prevent individuals from evading removal proceedings.
The policies reflect an effort by Swiss authorities to deal more quickly with asylum applicants who have little prospect of receiving protection while also addressing repeat alleged criminal activity.
The government’s figures show that North African asylum seekers stand apart from the broader asylum population in the proportion accused of offenses, while nearly all applications from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia ultimately fail.
Swiss authorities are therefore seeking to combine faster asylum decisions with stronger enforcement tools in cases involving repeated offenses and unsuccessful claims.
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