Author
Overview of statistical practice
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) publishes detailed statistics on the number of asylum applications and types of decisions on a monthly and a yearly basis. SEM statistics include figures on the application of the Dublin Regulation.[1]
Based on the yearly statistics provided by the SEM, the figures below, especially the asylum and temporary admission rates, are the result of a calculation methodology that differs from that used by the Swiss authorities. The Swiss Refugee Council (SRC) calculates recognition rates based only on the number of decisions on the merits rendered by the SEM at first instance, without considering the inadmissibility decisions or the “radiations” cases for the total of decisions, insofar as these do not include an examination on the merits of these asylum claims.[2]
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: figures for 2024 regarding the ten countries of origin with the highest number of applicants
| Applicants in 2024 | Pending at
end of 2024 |
Total decisions in 2024 | Asylum status[3] | Temporary admission[4] | |
| Total | 27,740 | 11,921 | 30,420 | 10,390 | 6,063 |
| Afghanistan | 8,627 | 1,242 | 11,158 | 5,679 | 3,625 |
| Türkiye | 4,107 | 3,953 | 5,828 | 1,953 | 152 |
| Algeria | 2,110 | 203 | 1,131 | 8 | 1 |
| Eritrea | 2,093 | 463 | 2,124 | 1,257 | 378 |
| Syria | 1,438 | 522 | 1,438 | 624 | 551 |
| Morocco | 1,289 | 114 | 747 | 1 | 6 |
| Somalia | 766 | 386 | 735 | 119 | 334 |
| Tunesia | 659 | 95 | 504 | 1 | 7 |
| Iraq | 559 | 346 | 469 | 63 | 79 |
| Sri Lanka | 455 | 294 | 427 | 87 | 27 |
Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: rates for 2024
| Overall rejection rate | In merit rejection rate | Overall protection rate | In merit protection rate | Asylum status | Temporary admission rate | |
| Total | 46% | 31% | 54% | 69% | 47% | 21% |
|
Breakdown by the ten countries of origin with the highest number of applicants out of the total number |
||||||
| Afghanistan | 17% | 1% | 83% | 99% | 69% | 30% |
| Türkiye | 64% | 59% | 36% | 41% | 38% | 3% |
| Algeria | 99% | 97% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 0% |
| Eritrea | 23% | 12% | 77% | 88% | 69% | 19% |
| Syria | 18% | 4% | 82% | 96% | 53% | 43% |
| Morocco | 99% | 97% | 1% | 3% | 1% | 3% |
| Somalia | 38% | 6% | 62% | 94% | 26% | 67% |
| Tunesia | 98% | 95% | 2% | 5% | 1% | 4% |
| Iraq | 70% | 52% | 30% | 48% | 22% | 26% |
| Sri Lanka | 73% | 66% | 27% | 34% | 27% | 8% |
Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2024
| Adults | Children | ||
| Accompanied | Unaccompanied | ||
| Number | 14,648 | 10,453 | 2,639 |
| Percentage | 53% | 38% | 10% |
| Men | Women | |
| Number | 18,529 | 9,211 |
| Percentage | 67% | 33% |
Source: SEM, asylum statistics (7-20), available here and data provided by the SEM, April 2025.
First instance and appeal decision rates: 2024
It should be noted that, during the same year, the first instance and appeal authorities handle different caseloads. Thus, the decisions below do not concern the same applicants.
| First instance | Appeal | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of decisions | 21,888 (30,420 incl. non-entry decisions) |
100% | 2,978 | 100% |
| Positive decisions | 16,453 | 75% | 147
(thereof 106 referrals back to the SEM) |
5% (3.6%) |
|
10,390 | 47% | / | / |
|
6,063 | 28% | / | / |
| Non-entry, abandonment | / | / | 950 | 32% |
| Negative decisions | 6,845 (13,967 incl. non-entry decisions) |
31% | 1,881 | 63% |
[1] SEM, asylum statistics, available here.
[2] This calculation method is also used by the Organisation ‘Vivre Ensemble’, available here.