Resettlement is the admission of particularly vulnerable refugees in a third country, where they are granted refugee status and the opportunity to integrate.
Since the ratification of the Geneva Convention in 1955, Switzerland has regularly taken in refugee groups through resettlement. From such quotas benefited amongst others refugees from Hungary, Tibet, Indochina (Boat People), Chile, Iraq, Sudan, Tunisia and former Yugoslavia.
When large numbers of refugees from former Yugoslavia arrived in Switzerland in the 1990s, the Federal Council temporarily suspended the resettlement of refugees.
Resettlement programmes since 2013
In the face of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the Federal Council decided to resume the admission of vulnerable refugees via resettlement in 2013. Since then, based on several ad-hoc decrees, around 4,300 refugees have been resettled to Switzerland by early 2020 in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR.
In its decrees of 30 November 2018 and 29 May 2019, the Federal Council decided to continue the Swiss participation under the UNHCR’s resettlement programme. In view to improve planning, the Federal Council henceforth intends to adopt a resettlement programme every two years within the range of 1,500 to 2,000 refugees.
Resettlement 2022/2023
On 19 May 2021, the Federal Coucil approved the admission of up to 1,600 particularly vulnerable refugees for 2022/23. In addition, 220 places will be carried over from the 2020/21 program. The focus continues to be on refugees from crisis contexts in the Middle East and along the migratory route across the central Mediterranean.
As of 1 April 2023, the FDJP, on the recommendation of the Special Asylum Task Force (SONAS) and in consultation with the cantons, has suspended the admission of groups of resettlement refugees in order to take into account the heavy pressure on the Swiss asylum system.
Resettlement 2024/2025
At its meeting on 16 June 2023, the Federal Council approved a resettlement programme for 2024 and 2025, which provided for the admission of up to 1,600 particularly vulnerable refugees. However, owing to significant pressure on the Swiss asylum system, no admissions under this programme had been made by mid-2025.
In light of these circumstances, on 30 April 2025 the Federal Council decided to extend the 2024/25 resettlement programme until the end of 2027. This decision followed consultation with the Resettlement Advisory Group, which comprises representatives from the federal government, cantons, cities, communes, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Swiss Refugee Aid. Implementation will proceed gradually until the end of 2027, in close collaboration with cantons, cities and communes, and with careful consideration of the prevailing asylum situation.
Press releases
(These documents are not available in English)
16.06.2023
Das Resettlement-Programm wird 2024–2025 weitergeführt
28.06.2021
Schweiz übergibt den Vorsitz der grössten internationalen Resettlement-Konferenz an die USA
Last modification 15.05.2025
