Switzerland to close 9 centers for asylum-seekers as fewer people arrive than expected

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities say they will shut nine temporary centers for asylum-seekers because the number of people seeking asylum recently has been below expectations. Switzerland has been building up refugee accommodation since 2022, putting in place 36 centers for asylum-seekers across the country. The State Secretariat for Migration said Tuesday that just over half the places are currently occupied. It said that, unlike in previous years, there hasn’t been a rise in new asylum-seekers in the summer and fall. It said that “the situation on the migration routes toward Western Europe does not point to a dramatic increase in the coming months,” the secretariat said in a statement.