Since 1 March 2019, the asylum procedure in Switzerland has been organised into six asylum regions. Each of these regions has a federal asylum centre that conduct the asylum procedure and up to four centres that do not.
Federal asylum centres
In future SEM will be able to provide 5,000 places for asylum seekers in asylum centres. There are three different types of federal asylum centre:
- Federal asylum centre with processing facilities
Asylum seekers can lodge an asylum application in these asylum centres. All applications are examined and the decision over whether to grant asylum made at the centre. The entire process takes place under one roof, thus speeding up the asylum procedure. Asylum seekers remain in these centres while their application is processed; they are no longer transferred to the cantonal authorities, unless additional information has to be obtained and an extended procedure is required. These federal asylum centres house accommodation for asylum seekers as well as offices for interviewers, interpreters, document examiners and lawyers.
- Federal asylum centre without processing facilities
These federal asylum centres are mainly occupied by people who are due to be removed to another Dublin member state under the Dublin Regulation or whose asylum applications have been rejected. They remain in the federal centres and are no longer transferred to the cantonal asylum centres, unless they cannot be removed from Switzerland within the set period of 140 days. These centres therefore house people who usually have to leave Switzerland within a short period of time.
- Special centres
If an asylum seeker significantly endangers public safety and order or if their conduct massively disrupts the operation of normal federal asylum centres, they may be temporarily accommodated in a special centre. One such centre operates in Les Verrières (NE), and a second centre is planned in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
Further information
Documentation
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Häufig gestellte Fragen zu den Bundesasylzentren
(in German)
- Infobroschüre – 12 Fakten zu den Bundesasylzentren (PDF, 3 MB, 13.07.2020)
- Brochure d’information – 12 facettes des centres fédéraux pour requérants d’asile (PDF, 2 MB, 13.07.2020)
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Brochure informativa – 12 fatti riguardanti i centri federali d’asilo (PDF, 3 MB, 13.07.2020)
(This document is not available in English)
- Betriebskonzept Unterbringung BEKO (exkl. Anhänge) (PDF, 659 kB, 14.07.2022)
- Plan d’exploitation Hébergement PLEX (sans annexes) (PDF, 721 kB, 13.07.2022)
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Piano d’esercizio Alloggio PE (senza allegati) (PDF, 509 kB, 13.07.2022)
(This document is not available in English)
Dossier
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Änderung des Asylgesetzes (AsylG): Gesetz für beschleunigte Asylverfahren
(This document is not available in English)
Press releases
(These documents are not available in English) 2016
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Beschleunigte Asylverfahren als Schlüssel für eine glaubwürdige und faire Asylpolitik
(Der Bundesrat, 21.03.2016)
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Basel wird Standort des Verfahrenszentrums der Asylregion Nordwestschweiz
(SEM, 21.03.2016)
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Beschleunigte Asylverfahren: Ziele im Testbetrieb erreicht
(SEM, 14.03.2016)
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Neustrukturierung: Einigung über den Standort mehrerer Bundeszentren für Asylsuchende in der Westschweiz
(SEM, 01.02.2016)
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Eröffnung einer temporären Asylunterkunft im Truppenlager von Grandvillard (FR)
(SEM, 13.01.2016)
2015
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Neues Bundeszentrum in der Region Zentral- und Südschweiz
(SEM, 18.12.2015)
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Bereitstellung des Truppenlagers Glaubenberg als Bundesasylzentrum
(SEM, 29.09.2015)
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Asyllage: Bund eröffnet zusätzliche Unterkünfte und trifft Fachleute der Kantone
(SEM, 24.09.2015)
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Neues Bundeszentrum für Asylsuchende in Zürich
(SEM, 26.05.2015)
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Temporäre Unterkunft für Asylsuchende in Menzingen eröffnet
(SEM, 11.05.2015)
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Die Standorte für Bundeszentren in der Region Ostschweiz stehen fest
(SEM, 04.05.2015)
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Neues Bundeszentrum für Asylsuchende in Giffers ab 2017
(SEM, 13.02.2015)
2014
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Gespräche zur Standortplanung neuer Bundeszentren verlaufen konstruktiv
(SEM, 16.12.2014)
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Eröffnung einer Unterkunft für Asylsuchende in Losone
(SEM, 08.09.2014)
Last modification 01.12.2019