Switzerland to close nine asylum centres as fewer people arrive than expected

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is closing nine temporary federal asylum centres across Switzerland with a total of 1,735 accommodation places by the beginning of March. The government expects to save tens of millions of francs by closing the infrastructure. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The SEM explained on Tuesday in response to a query from the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA that this would amount to around CHF40 million ($46 million) per year. The SEM justifies the closures with the lower-than-expected asylum numbers this autumn. According to the SEM, 23% fewer applications were submitted in August than in the previous year, and 40% fewer in September. + Asylum in Switzerland The occupancy rate of the federal asylum centres is currently 51% throughout Switzerland. The situation on the migration routes to Western Europe does not indicate a sharp increase in the coming months. The government will begin closing the accommodation facilities ...