MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the state secretary, the Swiss share of all European refugees has never been as low as now.
"Earlier, Switzerland hosted around 8 percent of all refugees [in Europe], and now there are 3 percent. In Europe, Switzerland is for migrants with no real grounds for asylum as unattractive as never," Gattiker said in an interview with the Blick news portal.
Gattiker said the low number of migrants seeking asylum in Switzerland was also a consequence of the country's measures to curb immigration.
According Switzerland's revised Asylum Act, migrants awaiting refugee status have to finance their stay in the country. Media reported that migrants who had cash or belongings worth 1,000 Swiss francs (some $993) were obliged to hand them to authorities at reception centers to repay state expenses.
