Drop in number of rejected asylum seekers on welfare

Just over 8,000 rejected asylum seekers received basic welfare benefits in Switzerland last year worth a total of CHF60 million ($60 million), the Swiss authorities have reported. This represents a 20% drop compared to 2016.  The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) reported on Tuesday that last year 8,022 rejected asylum seekers received emergency support in the form of accommodation, food, clothing or basic medical care worth CHF56.9 million – down 9% compared to 2016. A total of 785 people who filed multiple requests for asylum also received emergency support. The overall number of people in this category is down by 18% compared to the previous year, the SEM said in a statement.  + Switzerland says no to relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece Of the rejected asylum seekers, 31% were from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Algeria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Four out of ten were aged 18-29 and 70% were male. Last year, 3,068 were considered long-term beneficiaries. While the total ...