Author
The Federal Council is responsible for designating states in which, on the basis of its findings, there is protection against persecution,[1] as safe countries of origin.[2] In such a case, SEM usually issues a decision of inadmissibility without further investigations. The time limit for an appeal in these cases is 5 working days.[3] The common list of safe countries of origin and safe third countries is published in the Annex 2 of Asylum Ordinance 1 on procedural aspects (AO1).[4] It currently includes:
- EU and EEA Member States (all together 57 asylum applications in 2022);
- Albania (47 asylum applications);
- Benin (8 asylum applications);
- Bosnia-Herzegovina (25 asylum applications);
- Burkina Faso (12 asylum applications);
- Georgia (735 asylum applications);
- Ghana (13 asylum applications);
- India (33 asylum applications);
- Kosovo (61 asylum applications);
- Moldova, excluding Transnistria (16 asylum applications);
- Mongolia (10 asylum applications);
- Montenegro (14 asylum applications);
- North Macedonia (108 asylum applications);
- Senegal (34 asylum applications);
- Serbia (59 asylum applications);
- UK (3 asylum applications).[5]
[1] With regard to the determination of a home country or country of origin as certain of persecution, the factors taken into account are: the political stability; the political stability; the observance of human rights; the assessment of other EU and EFTA Member States and the UNHCR and other country-specific peculiarities (Article 2 AO1).
[2] Article 6a(2)(a) AsylA.
[3] Article 108(3) AsylA.
[4] Annex 2 AO1, available in French (and German and Italian) at: http://bit.ly/2FMt9sO.
[5] SEM, asylum statistics (7-20), available at: https://bit.ly/418U0Yk.