Asylum seekers from the Maghreb, 80% are involved in crimes (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• 80.5% of applicants from the Maghreb accused of crimes; 12.3% for other countries
• Confederation introduced 24-hour accelerated procedure in 2024
• In 2025, 96% of people in the asylum system were not charged
• About 99% of applications from the Maghreb are rejected

Key facts

• What: 80.5% of applicants from the Maghreb accused of one or more crimes during the asylum procedure
• When: 2024 (SEM analysis); accelerated procedure introduced 2024
• Where: Swiss Confederation, Federal Asylum Centres
• Who: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)
• Amount/Percentages: 80.5% (Maghreb), 12.3% (other countries), 96% (not charged 2025), 99% (rejected applications)

In 2024, the State Secretariat for Migration conducted an internal analysis on the data of asylum seekers, obtained by Blick according to the Transparency Act. The numbers are staggering: 80.5% of applicants from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia were charged with one or more crimes during the asylum procedure or after receiving a negative decision. A hugely higher percentage than applicants from other countries, where only 12.3% were involved in crime.

Young males from North Africa are involved in most of the disorders registered in federal asylum centers and in a significant share of the crimes attributed to applicants in general. According to SEM spokesman Daniel Bach, however, "the vast majority behave

Operational details

How fast-track changes the process

The 24-hour expedited procedure represents a significant change from the historical processing times of appeals. Instead of proceeding with the normal administrative procedures that could last weeks or months, the Confederation now aims to identify, prosecute and decide in a single day. This acceleration, however, encounters concrete resistance: applicants who refuse to provide biometric data make rapid identification impossible and force the administration to manage incomplete document archives.

The impact at the national level is considerable. Each canton administers its own asylum centres and complies with federal SEM guidelines. The enhanced cooperation requested by Bern means that cantonal asylum offices will have to better coordinate return procedures, speeding up administrative expulsion times. Some cantons may need to increase the resources dedicated to this task, while others may benefit from a reduction in management burdens.

Public safety and public order

The publication of the SEM data highlights a national security issue: crimes attributable to applicants from the Maghreb include theft in cars, shops and intrusions into homes. These behaviors create a perception of insecurity in local communities and pose a concrete challenge to cantonal and municipal police offices, which must manage

Recommended tools

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Key points

Monitor federal policy on migration

The data published by SEM is public and accessible through the Federal Transparency Act. Anyone interested in following the evolution of Swiss asylum policy can consult the official press releases of SEM on the website www.sem.admin.ch. The State Secretariat for Migration regularly publishes statistics and reports on the state of the asylum system, including information on accelerated procedures and repatriations.

In addition, the strengthened collaboration between cantons and Confederation means that news on procedural changes and administrative accelerations are communicated through official cantonal channels. Anyone operating in the field of social assistance, integration, or public security at the cantonal level may need to monitor these federal decisions to adapt their operations and internal administrative procedures.

Track changes in repatriation procedures

From 2024, the 24-hour accelerated procedure has come into effect for applicants from the Maghreb. The response times of federal authorities have been significantly reduced compared to the past. If a request is rejected during the accelerated procedure, repatriation can take place in very short times. This means that the time window for appeals or challenges is extremely limited.

For those working in legal consulting, social mediation, or assistance for applicants, the period 2024-2026 represents an important procedural adaptation moment. Deadlines are now measured in hours, not days. The risk of administrative errors increases proportionally to the speed of the process.

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