The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has quietly adjusted its accommodation strategy for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. In a media release issued on 10 March 2026, Bern-Wabern confirmed that Ukrainians whose protection (S-permit) applications are likely to be rejected will now remain up to 20 days longer in the federal asylum centres (BAZ) before being transferred to the cantons. Falling application numbers—about 1,300 per month versus more than 2,100 last autumn—mean occupancy in Switzerland’s 30-plus BAZ has dropped below 60 %, freeing beds that the Confederation is keen to use to ease pressure on cantonal housing and social-assistance budgets.
Under the new regime, only Ukrainians with a high probability of receiving protection are forwarded rapidly to the cantons, while those facing a negative decision stay in federal accommodation for an extended period. This follows a pilot introduced a year ago that already shifted roughly 64,000 overnight stays from cantonal shelters to federal ones in 2025. The SEM will also close three temporary centres in Moudon, Plan-les-Ouates and Steckborn at the end of March and use the downtime to renovate others such as Glaubenberg and Dübendorf. Should arrivals surge again later in the year, the centres can be re-activated within weeks.
For cantonal authorities the change offers immediate financial relief—each additional day a rejected applicant spends in a BAZ saves roughly CHF 60-80 in daily accommodation and integration costs. Corporate mobility managers and relocation firms, however, will need to recalibrate their counselling. A longer federal phase could delay work-permit applications and labour-market access for Ukrainians who eventually win an appeal, extending uncertainty for employers eager to hire Ukrainian IT specialists and healthcare staff.
![Switzerland keeps Ukrainian protection-seekers longer in federal asylum centres]()
Navigating Swiss immigration rules can be challenging in such a fluid environment. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides real-time guidance on entry requirements, permit categories and document preparation, helping employers, relocation advisers and private travellers streamline their paperwork and avoid costly delays.
Companies operating pan-European assignment programmes should also review their duty-of-care frameworks. The federal centres are generally in remote locations and have stricter mobility rules than cantonal facilities; arranging escorted off-site interviews or medical visits may require additional lead time. Immigration lawyers point out that the SEM has not altered substantive criteria for granting or refusing S-permits—only the logistics of housing—so applicants’ legal timelines remain unchanged.
Over the medium term, the policy illustrates Switzerland’s shift from crisis-mode reception to a more differentiated, capacity-driven model. If sustained, the approach could become a template for handling future humanitarian influxes: keep potentially short-term residents in federal infrastructure while channelling resources in the cantons toward longer-term integration of those with a realistic prospect of staying.
Under the new regime, only Ukrainians with a high probability of receiving protection are forwarded rapidly to the cantons, while those facing a negative decision stay in federal accommodation for an extended period. This follows a pilot introduced a year ago that already shifted roughly 64,000 overnight stays from cantonal shelters to federal ones in 2025. The SEM will also close three temporary centres in Moudon, Plan-les-Ouates and Steckborn at the end of March and use the downtime to renovate others such as Glaubenberg and Dübendorf. Should arrivals surge again later in the year, the centres can be re-activated within weeks.
For cantonal authorities the change offers immediate financial relief—each additional day a rejected applicant spends in a BAZ saves roughly CHF 60-80 in daily accommodation and integration costs. Corporate mobility managers and relocation firms, however, will need to recalibrate their counselling. A longer federal phase could delay work-permit applications and labour-market access for Ukrainians who eventually win an appeal, extending uncertainty for employers eager to hire Ukrainian IT specialists and healthcare staff.
Navigating Swiss immigration rules can be challenging in such a fluid environment. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides real-time guidance on entry requirements, permit categories and document preparation, helping employers, relocation advisers and private travellers streamline their paperwork and avoid costly delays.
Companies operating pan-European assignment programmes should also review their duty-of-care frameworks. The federal centres are generally in remote locations and have stricter mobility rules than cantonal facilities; arranging escorted off-site interviews or medical visits may require additional lead time. Immigration lawyers point out that the SEM has not altered substantive criteria for granting or refusing S-permits—only the logistics of housing—so applicants’ legal timelines remain unchanged.
Over the medium term, the policy illustrates Switzerland’s shift from crisis-mode reception to a more differentiated, capacity-driven model. If sustained, the approach could become a template for handling future humanitarian influxes: keep potentially short-term residents in federal infrastructure while channelling resources in the cantons toward longer-term integration of those with a realistic prospect of staying.
