The final figures are not yet available, but Switzerland registered more than 20,000 new asylum applications last year. At the request of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) has scrutinized hundreds of them.
The secret service checked 713 asylum files for possible risks. The FIS has advised to reject a single asylum application, spokeswoman Sonja Margelist explains when asked. In addition, 82 status S applications from Ukrainian refugees were checked by the secret service. However, this did not result in any negative advice.
Hardly any NDB checks on Ukrainians
Although last year – in addition to the regular asylum applications – about 75,000 people applied for S status and about 72,000 people were granted it, only a few files have been investigated by the secret service in this area.
But that does not mean that the Ukrainian refugees have not been checked at all, emphasizes SEM spokesman Samuel Wyss: “Almost all people applying for S status are subject to identity and security checks.”
He does admit, however, that the level of control for refugees arriving from Ukraine does not correspond to that of the regular asylum procedure. “But it contains essential aspects of security.” This includes checking persons and luggage, taking and checking two-fingerprints, checking identity documents and comparing them in the relevant databases.
There is a simple reason why only 82 status S files were forwarded to the secret service: “Since the vast majority of applications for status S concern women and children and contain valid identity documents, only a few cases that yielded special information were submitted to the FIS. Review.” The FIS, in turn, has not recommended any of these cases for dismissal.
More requests, fewer reviews
In the field of regular asylum, FIS checking activity is higher, but just like last year, only one application was recommended for rejection. In previous years there were significantly more: a dozen in 2020 and even 38 in the record year 2017. Significantly more files were checked then – more than 6,000, although the number of asylum applications was no less than 18,000, much lower than last year. year.
More requests, fewer reviews. How is this gap explained? The Secret Service declined to provide any further information. In contrast, the SEM points out that in 2017 “a strong migration flow from the Iraqi-Syrian crisis area was recorded, with many people unable to prove their identity, which required a more thorough check,” said SEM spokesperson. Show.
The migration authority sends to the intelligence service the files of asylum seekers whose personal data or files indicate that they may pose a risk to the internal and external security of Switzerland. The suspects are checked by searching the FIS databases and, if necessary, other external databases.
139 potential threats since 2010
All files from certain countries in which terrorist cells are active are submitted to the FIS. Which countries are currently on this Federal Council-approved list is a secret. The asylum seekers recommended for rejection may be Islamist extremists, members of a terrorist organization or other violent extremists. Potential war criminals are also being considered.
Since 2010, the Secret Service has identified a total of 139 asylum seekers as a potential security risk.
No naturalization denied
However, the FIS not only reviewed asylum and status S files last year, but also 45,147 applications for naturalization, and did not have to reject one – which was the case for five applications last year.
In addition, the Secret Service reviewed 6,095 immigration applications and recommended rejection for security reasons in eight cases. Six of these concerned accreditations (eg at embassies). A residence permit and a visa application were also rejected.
The SEM would not answer specifically whether the negative accreditation recommendations are related to Russia’s offensive war in Ukraine. According to Wyss, federal authorities would not comment on individual cases or provide details about negative decisions or the nationalities involved.
Even if the authorities remain silent, it is quite possible that Russians will be affected by cancellations. According to the FIS, one third of the Russian diplomats accredited in this country are spies.
More than 2 million airline passengers screened
Finally, the FIS also reviewed 1.11 million data records as part of the visa consultation process, resulting in five rejection recommendations. This means that almost three times more data records were checked than in the previous year.
In addition, the API (Advance Passenger Information) data of 2.27 million people on 14,071 flights was checked. The numbers in this area have also increased considerably. This has to do with the fact that in 2022, after the hot phase of the Corona pandemic, more people traveled and flew than in the first two Corona years.