Switzerland. Photo: Shutterstock Switzerland will begin implementing key parts of the European Union’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum starting June 12, 2026, after the Federal Council approved a series of legal and regulatory changes.
As an associated Schengen and Dublin member state, Switzerland is required to adopt parts of the EU’s new migration framework, which aims to strengthen controls at Europe’s external borders and reduce irregular secondary movements within the Schengen area.
The reforms introduce a uniform screening procedure designed to quickly identify and register migrants and determine whether they should enter an asylum process, be returned, or transferred to another Schengen country under the bloc’s solidarity mechanism.
Swiss authorities said the new system could help reduce the number of asylum applications from people unlikely to qualify for protection, potentially easing pressure on the country’s asylum system.
The changes also include updates to Switzerland’s asylum procedures, visa regulations, and data processing rules, including new guidelines on fingerprint and facial image data under the revised Eurodac system.
Parliament had already approved the necessary legislative amendments in September 2025, with the latest Federal Council decision finalizing the implementation process ahead of the EU-wide rollout in mid June.
As previously announced, the Federal Council is also looking to cap the country's population at 10 million until the year 2050 through a highly controversial initiative looking to reshape immigration.