|
Poland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Office for Foreigners updated the existing “Policy for the protection of children against abuse in centres for foreigners run by the Office for Foreigners”. It includes protection standards and guidelines for officers in reception centres. An e-learning platform intended for all employees was developed, which includes the course on the policy. All newly employed and permanent employees of the office are obliged to undergo training, which ends with a final test and the issuance of a certificate. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Access to procedure |
In March, the Border Guard established intervention teams in the border with Belarus to conduct migrant search and rescue operations. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Ministry of the Interior passed a decree to create a buffer zone at the border with Belarus, aiming to prevent illegal entries. It included a temporary ban on staying in a specific area adjacent to the border zone. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
At the request of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and considering the success of a pilot project from 2021 to 2023, new Foreigners’ Integration Centres (CIC) were opened with AMIF funding and will continue to multiply with the same model of one-stop-shop. They provide standardised services to newly arrived migrants, promote active participation and involvement of foreigners in the social and cultural life of Poland and serve as cooperation platforms between local authorities, the government, and NGOs. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Office for Foreigners implemented a new questionnaire to obtain children’s opinion on the quality of their current care and educational situation. The aim is to assess the child’s best interests. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Access to information |
The Office for Foreigners opened a hotline to provide information on the international protection procedure. It also launched a mobile application in 5 languages for the same purpose. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Council of Ministers adopted a package of 4 draft laws amending the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners. They introduced the possibility of temporarily limiting the right to lodge an asylum application except for vulnerable applicants (i.e. pregnant women, unaccompanied minors and people who require special treatment) and included additional grounds to withdraw refugee status. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Poland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Access to procedure |
The Prime Minister announced a government strategy to regain control over migration and limit the illegal crossing of Polish borders. It includes a proposal to allow for a temporary and territorial suspension of the right to request asylum in the event of a high influx of persons. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
From June 2024, the Federal Council is able to contribute to the operating costs of cantonal departure centres when there is a high volume of illegal entries. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Federal Council launched the process to reduce the waiting period for family reunification for people with temporary admission, following a judgment from the ECtHR in 2021. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Interpretation services |
Interpretation services were expanded to include rare languages. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Resettlement and humanitarian admissions |
The national programme was approved to receive 1,600 refugees during 2024-2025, although all operations have been suspended since April 2023 due to the pressure on the reception system. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
The State Secretariat for Migration awarded contracts for legal advice and representation services for asylum seekers in federal asylum centres. Various organisations, including Caritas Switzerland, the Bern Legal Advice Centre and OSEO, will provide these services. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A collaborative process among the confederation, cantons and municipalities was launched to develop a new comprehensive asylum strategy. Key objectives are the continuous improvement of fast and fair asylum procedures, the dignified accommodation of people seeking protection, and the quick and systematic return of people not entitled to protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The State Secretariat for Migration closed nine temporary federal asylum centres, reducing accommodation capacity by about 1,735 places due to a lower-than-expected number of asylum applications in autumn 2024. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
New measures were announced to improve security and support services in asylum centres. They included clarifying the legal framework for the operation of asylum centres, explicitly defining when force or police measures can be used and establishing rules for temporary detention to prevent imminent danger. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The Federal Council approved amendments to facilitate the integration of refugees and beneficiaries of temporary protection into the labour market. Measures included an increased awareness among employers and jobseekers, the recognition of diplomas and the assessment of skills, and simplifying the process for temporary residence permit holders to change cantons for work-related purposes. It also lifted certain work permit requirements for individuals in hardship cases and those in preparatory vocational training. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Federal Council took note of a package of measures to reduce costs in asylum and optimise available resources. The aim is to save around CHF 700 million by 2028 by reducing the number of pending cases, speeding up procedures and increasing the employment rate among beneficiaries of temporary protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The 24-hour fast procedure, which had been tested on a small scale, was extended to all federal states. The aim of the procedure is to quickly process asylum applications that have low chances of success and to relieve the workload for case officers and pressure on the reception system. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The federal and cantonal authorities made efforts to improve security in reception facilities and address recidivism of repeat offenders among asylum applicants and beneficiaries. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Federal Council approved legal amendments to allow the State Secretariat for Migration to analyse data from devices (e.g. phones and computers) to verify the identity, nationality or travel route of applicants when other methods are insufficient. The changes entered into effect in April 2025. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The Federal Council is proposing changes to the Asylum Ordinance 2, including the duty to consider the length of time people received social assistance subsidies during their provisional admission before obtaining refugee status. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
To improve data protection and facilitate the implementation of return processes, providers of legal advice are now given limited access to MIDES, an information system on accommodation at airports. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Switzerland |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
Benin was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |
|
Sweden |
2024 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Migration Agency introduced a simplified procedure for notifying asylum decisions, aiming to increase the number of decisions that gain legal force. The applicant is considered to be notified 2 weeks after the decision is mailed and can then appeal the decision within the following 3 weeks. If they do not appeal in that time, the decision becomes legally enforceable. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2025 |