End of 2020, there were 10,900 asylum seekers (N permit), and 48,700 persons granted provisional admission (F permit) in Switzerland. Compared to 2019, the number of F permit holders has increased while the number of asylum seekers has decreased. For both groups together, the figures are slightly lower than in 2019. This represents a total proportion of 0.7% of the permanent population and 2.7% of the foreign population.
Asylum seekers and persons granted provisional admission are allocated between the cantons according to the canton population. This allocation formula is the reason for the low level of variation between cantons. In 2020, the proportion of asylum seekers/persons granted provisional admission varied only slightly, between 7.9 per 1,000 inhabitants in Bern and 3.5 per 1,000 in Thurgau. The variations in this indicator result from departures from Switzerland or residence permits granted by the authorities in the context of the asylum procedure.
There is however considerable proportional variation at the level of municipalities because an elevated number of asylum seekers is attributed to a reception center. Many municipalities had no individuals with an asylum procedure in progress among their population at the end of 2020. In contrast, in other municipalities, one in seven inhabitants is an asylum seeker or person granted provisional admission.
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Definitions
N permit: Asylum seeker
F permit: Provisional admission (in the context of an asylum application)
Permanent resident population: The population of Swiss and foreign nationals holding a residence permit with a duration of more than twelve months. Since 2011, the term “permanent resident population” has also included foreign nationals holding an F or N permit who have been in Switzerland for twelve months or more.
Non-permanent resident population: The population of foreign nationals holding a temporary residence permit who have been residing in Switzerland for less than one year.
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Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office, STATPOP statistics (2010–2020)
Note on the methodology: The proportional numbers of asylum seekers/persons granted provisional admission are calculated by dividing the number of persons with an N or F permit by the permanent and non-permanent resident populations. Asylum seekers are included in the permanent population only when they have been in Switzerland for one year. The figures given are taken from STATPOP demographic statistics, and may differ slightly from those published by the State Secretariat for Migration.
Terms of use: The Migration-Mobility Indicators are made available free of charge for non-commercial use. We ask the users to acknowledge the source.
Suggested citation: nccr – on the move, Migration-Mobility Indicators. Neuchâtel: nccr – on the move, 2022.
For more information about the data sets used, please click here.
Last update: 7 February 2022