Special deportation flights to Algeria for the first time: more asylum seekers sent home

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Switzerland registered around 30,000 new asylum applications last year. More than ever since 2015. However, not only have more asylum seekers arrived, but more have also left the country. The number of returns and departures of rejected asylum seekers from Switzerland will increase by a fifth in 2023, reports Radio SRF.

The return mainly affects countries where many asylum seekers come from, but where the recognition rate is low – for example Algeria, Turkey and Georgia. About 500 rejected people were sent back to Algeria alone, explains Reto Kormann, spokesperson for the State Secretariat for Migration. These often concern young men who have fled for economic reasons.

Deportation flights to Algeria

It is clear that more asylum seekers lead to more deportations. But it is not the only reason why the number of repatriations has increased. Migration and return agreements with the states involved are also important.

This often requires years of development work. “You have to gain trust,” says Kormann. The cooperation will be institutionalized and then maintained. Special deportation flights to Algeria were now possible for the first time.

The Dublin system benefits Switzerland

Whatever the return statistics show: Switzerland benefits from Europe’s Dublin asylum system. Three times as many asylum seekers were received by the states of Dublin than Switzerland had to take back. This is despite the fact that Italy does not currently accept such repatriations. (Russian)

Source:Blick