A variety of factors are driving thousands of people to seek refuge in safe and more stable regions: armed conflicts, human rights violations, deteriorating living conditions and a lack of prospects for the future. In response to these flows of migrants, Switzerland is providing aid at a number of levels. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is focusing its attention on the migrants’ countries of origin in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. It is also active in the transit zones in the Mediterranean region and in the Balkans. Switzerland is adopting a coordinated approach to the migration crisis with collaboration between the SDC and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
• Since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, the SDC has spent CHF 178 million on responding to the humanitarian needs identified in the region, in addition to the CHF 20 million spent on humanitarian projects in Iraq since 2014. Switzerland’s contribution in the Syria region and Iraq will be increased by CHF 30 million by the end of the year, a decision taken by the Federal Council on 18 September. This will help fund the activities of partner humanitarian organisations. In light of the number of migrants arriving in a number of Balkan states, the SDC and the SEM are making additional resources available both to Serbia and to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the migration partnerships concluded with these two countries some years ago. Furthermore, following an appeal by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) an expert from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) will be sent to Greece.
• In Morocco and Tunisia, Switzerland is providing practical support for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who are facing precarious conditions there. At the same time, it is engaging in dialogue with the authorities in both of these countries in a bid to develop a sustainable longterm migration policy. • In the Horn of Africa, the SDC, the FDFA’s Human Security Division and the State Secretariat for Migration are working together to ensure the protection of migrants. On 18 September 2015, the Federal Council pledged an additional CHF 24 million to projects in the region.
• In general, as well as the humanitarian aid deployed on the ground, all the projects supported by the SDC to alleviate poverty and the root causes of conflict in developing countries and/or fragile states contribute to curbing transcontinental migration. In partnership with various units of the FDFA and the SEM, the SDC is also conducting a political dialogue at various levels, in particular through its global “Migration and Development” programme, which has an influence on international debate and rolls out innovative economic migration projects with diaspora communities