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SWITZERLAND
Switzerland has concluded a number of readmission agreements with its neighbours and other
countries, in order to return rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. Readmission
agreements have been concluded with Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, FYR of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Sri Lanka and
Sweden.
Transit agreements have been concluded for the repatriation of Serbia and Montenegro nationals
with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary.
Agreements have also been made with Germany, Croatia, Austria and Slovenia for return of war
refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
There is generally no obligation, under the readmission agreements to notify the third country on
whether the returnee’s asylum application had been refused on formal grounds, and not on merit.
While not party to the Dublin Convention, Switzerland is currently negotiating with the European
Union regarding its implementation. The same applies to the Schengen Treaty.
Cost Effectiveness Analysis
1.4 STATISTICS ON INVOLUNTARY RETURN
TABLE 3
STATISTICS ON INVOLUNTARY RETURN
Year Number Repatriated
to Country of Origin or Third Country
2000 5,346
2001 2,275
2002 2,748
2003 (October) 2,859
Source: Federal Office for Refugees.
Compared to the costs incurred by the continued stay of a person liable for deportation in Switzerland,
forced returns are generally considered by FOR to be a more cost-effective alternative.
Yet, in comparison to voluntary returns, involuntary returns regularly turn out to be much more
expensive and less sustainable. Yet the two approaches influence and complement each other.