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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 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: 2020
| Applicants in 2020 | Pending at end 2020 | Asylum | Temporary admission | Rejection on the merit | Asylum rate | Temp. adm. rate | Rejection rate | |
| Total | 11,041 | 3,852 | 5,409 | 4,630 | 3,626 | 40% | 34% | 26% |
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Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers
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| Eritrea | 1,917 | 262 | 1,546 | 462 | 252 | 68%[3] | 21% | 11% |
| Afghanistan | 1,681 | 723 | 351 | 1,433 | 90 | 19% | 76% | 5% |
| Turkey | 1,201 | 743 | 1,524 | 216 | 373 | 72% | 10% | 18% |
| Algeria | 988 | 169 | 4 | 8 | 178 | 2% | 4% | 94% |
| Syria | 904 | 219 | 676 | 854 | 205 | 39% | 49% | 12% |
| Sri Lanka | 468 | 169 | 327 | 119 | 577 | 32% | 12% | 56% |
| Morocco | 400 | 68 | 3 | 11 | 60 | 4% | 15% | 81% |
| Iraq | 314 | 179 | 105 | 275 | 180 | 19% | 49% | 32% |
| Iran | 310 | 281 | 213 | 168 | 407 | 27% | 21% | 52% |
| Somalia | 288 | 82 | 127 | 193 | 43 | 35% | 53% | 12% |
Source: SEM, Statistiques en matière d’asile, available at: https://bit.ly/2Mk3jnT.
Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2020
| Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of applicants | 11,041 | 100% |
| Men | 7,399 | 67.01% |
| Women | 3,642 | 32.99% |
| Children (accompanied) | 5,034 | 45.60% |
| Unaccompanied children | 535 | 4.85% |
Source: SEM, Statistiques en matière d’asile, available at: https://bit.ly/2Mk3jnT.
Comparison between first instance and appeal decision rates:
| First instance | Appeal | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Total number of decisions on merits | 13,618 | |||
| Decisions granting international protection | 5,409 | 40% | – | – |
| Rejection | 3,623 | 26% | – | – |
The available statistics do not allow to do draw a comparison between first instance and appeal decision rates. Statistics at second instance only indicate if the appeal was admitted, partially admitted, rejected, etc., but it is not possible to differentiate between appeals on the merits and appeals against dismissals, nor between appeals on the question of asylum (for persons with a temporary admission) or on removal as well. Available statistics for the period between 1 March 2019 and 31 August 2020 show that appals were admitted or partially admitted in 11% of cases, while in 10% of cases the file was sent back to the SEM for further instruction and new decision.[4]
[1] SEM, Statistiques en matière d’asile, available at: https://bit.ly/2Mk3jnT.
[2] This calculation method is also used by Vivre Ensemble, available at: https://asile.ch/statistiques/.
[3] This rate is calculated out of a total of applications which includes secondary applications (e.g. birth or family reunification), the asylum rate for primary applications being much lower. For a critical analysis of this rate see the section on Eritrea in Differential treatment of specific nationalities in the procedure.
[4] Federal Administrative Court, “Nouveau droit d’asile – bilan”. This calculation was made removing those appeals that were dismissed without entering in the merit and those that were cancelled. The data concern both cases dealt under the old and new procedure.