The State Secretariat for Migration is clarifying the status of Syrian asylum seekers in the country.
There are around 500 Syrians waiting for a decision.
They don’t have to leave, which some felt they had to. It’s simply the processing of their applications has stopped for the time being. It also doesn’t stop other Syrians from making an application.
There’s been a freeze on forced returns to Syria since 2011 – and that stays in place.
A spokeswoman says the suspensions could last a few weeks or a few months.
At the end of last year, there were 28,000 Syrians in Switzerland, according to the Federal Office of Statistics.
Meanwhile, official figures show CHF 99m from Syria is frozen in Swiss banks.
The money was stuck after Bern followed EU sanctions in 2011.
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