These changes in Switzerland's asylum sector take effect on June 1st

Starting this summer, various new rules will be implemented. On June 1st, persons with temporary accession could move their home in another canton if they work there. The change will be implemented by amending the Act for Foreigners and (AIG) integration.

According to the state government, those who want to move should make it clear that staying in the settlement canton is unreasonable. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), this is the case if the trip is more than 90 minutes, the workplace is not or is difficult to access by public transportation, or whether work tasks should be carried out in a short time.

Also, two regulations changes will go into effect: First, the request for obtaining permission for self-employed work or employed for persons with difficulty permits will be lifted by June 1st. Second, the obligation to register for employment gains will be lifted for temporarily accepted persons, refugees and persons without citizenship.

The latter, however, applies only if it serves the goal of integration or professional reintegration and the person's gross monthly salary in question is no more than 600 francs. According to the federal government, people following a programme to prepare for basic professional training will be generally excluded from the registration requirement from June 1st.

According to the government, AIG review approved by the Federal Council also includes restrictions on overseas travel for temporarily accepted persons, asylum seekers and persons with defence status S. However, these will be implemented on a later date. This is due to the first activism of defence status S and the federal Council's simultaneous decision to grant freedom of refugee travel from Ukraine in March 2022.

As of June 1st, rejected asylum seekers and young immigrants without documents will be able to perform professional training more easily, thanks to another change in the ordinance: in the future, the affected will have to have attended mandatory school in Switzerland for two years instead of the previous five years in order to be able to file a requirement for professional training. Also, the deadline for submitting such an application will be extended from one to two years.

People without regular permission stay in Switzerland and asylum seekers have been able to perform training courses since 2013. However, Parliament found that the access criteria were very strict.

On 1 June, the federal government could also contribute to operational costs for short-term ban on people at a cantonal launch centre for a limited period of time. This is whether an extremely high number of illegal border crossings and identity checks are registered in a Swiss border zone. The daily fixed rate per person is at the maximum 100 francs.

Parliament adopted the relevant amendment to AIG in December 2022. The implementing provisions needed for implementation in the Order for the Execution of Exilement and Destitution, as well as the deportation of Foreign Citizens, were approved by the Federal Council in early May 2024. /Blic