Key facts
Since 2008, the Confederation has been paying the cantons approximately CHF 1 billion per year for the care of the asylum population. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) calculates quarterly lump sums according to the number of asylum seekers received in each canton. The SEM is required to check the quality of the data used to calculate the lump sums and the proper and effective use of these funds by the cantons. Five years after its last audit, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) again audited the calculation of these lump sums and the effectiveness and efficiency of the SEM’s financial supervision.