Federal Office for Migration (FOM)
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home.html
Mission/Mandate:
The FOM was created on 1 January 2005 as a result of “the amalgamation of the Federal Office for Refugees (FOR) and the Federal Office of Immigration, Integration and Emigration (IMES).” It seeks to “regulate […] all matters relevant to aliens and asylum in Switzerland.” (FOM website, http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/die_oe/aufgaben.html, accessed 3 December 2008)
The FOM comprises the following five directorates:
- Planning and Resources
- Entry, Stay and Return
- Work, Free Movement of Persons and Emigration
- Naturalisation, Integration and Federal Contributions
- Asylum Procedure
Target group:
Objective:
The Asylum Procedure Directorate conducts individual examination of asylum claims. Asylum applications that are not “manifestly abusive” are examined as to their credibility and as to whether the asylum seeker meets the requirements for obtaining refugee status as under the Swiss Asylum Act. (FOM website, http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/themen/asyl.html, accessed 3 December 2008)
The division on Migration and Country Analysis (Migrations- und Länderanalysen, MILA) that comprises a country information unit and a situation analysis unit, has the task of obtaining and transmitting information on approx. 120 countries of origin of asylum seekers. Staff country experts compile reports on the current situation in these countries of origin.
Funding:
Government funds
Scope of reporting:
Geographic scope:
All countries worldwide
Thematic scope:
Reporting methodology:
COI Reports published by FOM deal with general topics within a thematic scope (e.g. political, economic situation, AIDS, women, ethnicity and language in a given country). Apart from countries, reports may cover a specific region within a country only or even an entire continent. Information is drawn from written publicly available sources (mostly from the internet) including news media, UN and NGO reports, magazines and books. Sources are referenced via footnotes at the bottom of the page. Reports are written in an analytic style. Reports usually include graphics and pictures for illustration. Some reports are based both on information gathered during fact-finding-visits and internet research. (See some of the recent reports published on the FOM website, http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/de/home/themen/laenderinformation/herkunftslaenderinformationen.html, accessed 3 December 2008)
Publication cycle:
Reports are published irregularly
Languages:
French, German
Navigation of website:
Home > Services > information about the countries of origin of the asylum seekers (leads to page in German)
Additional references:
