Swiss Border

In 2016, Italy saw an increase in the number of boat arrivals of refugees and migrants on its coasts. Many of those arriving, particularly the young, have tried and continue to try to reach Germany and northern European countries via Switzerland. The Swiss reacted by increasing border controls, with around 2,000 border guards, 300 deployed on the Italian border, patrolling and using drones.

 When migrants and asylum seekers are found, Swiss border guards take them to the migrant identification and registration center at Chiasso train station. There, they are searched and registered. If they have already been registered in Italy, or if they do not declare their wish to seek asylum in Switzerland, they are sent back to Italy. According to the Swiss border guards, in the summer of 2016, 8,730 migrants were sent back to Italy. The Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration, ASGI, has reported violations of the regulations in force concerning pushbacks at the border in Chiasso, accusing border guards of not using interpreters and of carrying out collective expulsions also involving unaccompanied minors.