Swiss grants for Turkish asylum seekers plummet after surge in fraudulent applications

The number of Turkish asylum seekers granted protection in Switzerland has sharply decreased, with only about one-third now receiving asylum, according to the Swiss German-language daily newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung.

The reduction follows a surge in suspected fraudulent applications involving illegally obtained or forged judicial documents.

Connected to terrorist organizations

A fact sheet by the Swiss Refugee Council (SFH) indicated that most of these individuals were connected to the terrorist organization Gulenist Terror Group (FETO) and the terrorist organization PKK/YPG.

The Swiss Federal Administrative Court (BVG) noted an increase in such cases since mid-2023.

There is a widespread pattern of terrorist organization YPG/PKK sympathizers claiming persecution for their social media activities, including posts comparing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Adolf Hitler or associating him with Daesh terrorism, and receiving adverse asylum decisions.

Suspicious activity, legal actions

Swiss authorities became suspicious after a Turkish lawyer known for similar actions by the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) filed a complaint that triggered an investigation.

The court noted that there was a credible suspicion that the lawyer acted commercially and reported asylum seekers for money.

Observers and the SEM believe that human trafficking networks may have been involved in obtaining real or forged legal documents for money.

The SEM has detected an increase in forged Turkish judicial documents since 2021, and spokesperson Reto Kormann emphasized that the authenticity of the papers must be rigorously checked.

While detecting forged documents is more accessible, detecting genuine documents obtained illegally isn’t easy.

Although Türkiye and Switzerland do not have a return agreement, deportations, including forced returns accompanied by police, appear effective.

In 2022, around 76% of applicants from Türkiye received protection.

This rate dropped to 50% in 2023.

SEM investigations, decrease in applications

SFH spokesman Lionel Walter said there was a trend toward stricter scrutiny in cases involving social media posts critical of the Turkish president, but individual assessments were ongoing.

Suspicions of abuse of asylum procedures have led to investigations by the SEM to revoke asylum rights where abuse is indicated.

The stricter measures have also affected the number of new asylum applications.

While Türkiye remains Switzerland’s second largest asylum seeker destination, the number of new applications has fallen sharply since last November, stabilizing at around 300 per month.