migration.swiss 2020

Organisations should prepare for exceptional circumstances, practise emergency procedures, compile instruction manuals, draw up decision-making procedures and define crisis structures. But often a crisis does not unfold as planned. Courses, exercises and stress tests in times of calm are based on scenarios, which in reality are quickly overtaken by a different sequence of events.

This is what happened at SEM when the pandemic hit Switzerland, its population and the whole world in mid-March last year. All at once questions arose that no one had anticipated and that required a fast response, for SEM deals not with things such as paper, vehicles or agreements, but with people. This responsibility cannot be put on hold. We must safeguard the welfare of those we are responsible for, both at the federal asylum centres and during the interviews. This was our overriding priority during the lockdown. Leadership, team spirit and resilience were therefore required from everyone, more than at any other time in the past.

The 2020 migration report provides an insight into last year’s kaleidoscope of events. Although the pandemic poses a very real threat, the SEM report is appearing for the first time in a virtual format. We hope you enjoy reading it.