How 2021 Was A Boom For Asylum Seekers In Switzerland?

Much like how we urgently head to a place that can act as a roof during times of extreme weather and harsh rains, it appears that the troubled asylum seekers headed to Switzerland last year in a bid to file for international protection. How wounded, jaded and jilted, it ought to be said, must be the condition of someone who’s had to escape his own homeland or as they say, roots? Today, the plight suffered by the displaced is like a mighty suffering or if one could put it, then akin to an enduring saga marked by pain and agony.

But as they saying goes in old cliches that for every problem, there’s a solution, typically, where it comes to the present state of asylum seekers (especially in Europe), then the solution to that problem is Switzerland.

Facts being told, there is so much more to the doyen of snow-clad mountains, cherubic green valleys, lush alleys and the ever-pleasant sight of jersey cows that we know. Over the course of the last couple of years, the famous Central European wonderland has emerged as the go-to destination for those wishing to start a new life after having been torn away from their homeland.

And facts and figures pertaining to the bygone year 2021 point to a critical fact. They suggest that Switzerland emerged as a boon for those seeking international protection, i.e., those vying to seek asylum.

So how was that and what information is at our disposal that could confirm this? Is this a notion?

In truth, it it anything but that. Facts suggest a telling picture- suggesting that more individuals applied for international asylum in Switzerland in the year 2021 than in the previous year.

With that understanding, let us dive directly into the numbers to explore a side of the marvelus tourist-friendly country that we haven’t perhaps explored before:

As per the information published during February 2022 on the official website of Schengen visa (info), it’s been shared that over 14,900 individuals applied for asylum in the famous country.

To emphasise further, data provided by State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), the total number of applications filed for international protection in Switzerland amounted to 14,928. Having said that, it’s also important to note that in light of the ongoing strife and massive civil unrest in Afghanistan, there’s little surprise that those who sought international asylum in Switzerland were mostly Afghan nationals.

These were followed by Turkey, Eritrea, Syria and Algeria.

That being said, the following excerpts were taken from the website of Schengen Visa Info:

In 2021, 14,928 people applied for asylum in Switzerland, 3,887 more than in 2020. The increase in asylum applications compared to the previous year is primarily due to less restrictive travel restrictions due to the corona pandemic,” the statement reads.

According to SAM, citizens of Afghanistan accounted for the largest number of asylum applications filed in Switzerland last year, or a total of 3,079 applications filed.

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Of them, 35 are for family reunification purposes, 165 due to births, and 90 to multiple applications, meaning that a total of 2,789 new applications filed for asylum were received from citizens from Afghanistan.

For many who flock to Switzerland at the first given opportunity given their sheer love for the celebrated nation with its charm and splendor, it’s also important to recognize the humanitarian aspect of the country that perhaps doesn’t come to light much too often.