Switzerland: The Asylum System in Transition – Labor Market Integration as a Necessary Precondition for Security

Author(s) : Marco Salvi, Pascal Lago

Source : https://cdn.avenir-suisse.ch/production/uploads/2021/06/International_Think_Tank_Report_on_Global_Refugee_Migration.pdf#page=15

“This chapter offers an overview of the asylum population in Switzerland in terms of labor market integration and aspects of security. The first part indicates that labor market integration poses a challenge. Several factors impeding increased employment are discussed and areas of improvement suggested. The second part focuses on security impacts of the asylum sector. The two areas are interrelated, as increased labor market integration reduces security related issues such as criminality.
The asylum population in Switzerland shows a low participation in the labor market compared to native citizens or third-country migrants. In comparison to other European countries, the employment rate of the asylum sector in Switzerland is lower. The authors identify hurdles to refugees’ and provisionally admitted persons’ labor market participation on institutional, company and personal levels. The research also focuses on links between labor market integration and security related issues. Essentially, unemployment, uncertain prospects or space constraints increase the chances of for criminal activities among the asylum population.“