| Agency Name: | State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) |
| Native Name: | Staatssekretariat für Migration SEM Secrétariat d’Etat aux migrations SEM Segreteria di Stato della migrazione SEM |
| Formed: | (merger of several federal offices) |
| Jurisdiction: | Switzerland |
| Headquarters: | Wabern (Köniz), Switzerland |
| Employees: | 1300[1] |
| Budget: | Expenditure: CHF 1.6 billion (2022)[2] |
| Minister1 Name: | Élisabeth Baume-Schneider |
| Chief1 Name: | Christine Schraner Burgener (State secretary) |
| Website: | sem.admin.ch |
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) (German: Staatsekretariat für Migrationen SEM, French: Secrétariat d'État aux migrations, Italian: Segreteria di Stato per le migrazioni) is a Swiss federal authority. As of 2023, it is headed by Federal Councillor Élisabeth Baume-Schneider.
It is responsible, at the federal level, for all matters relating to foreigners (granting of visas, prohibition of entry into the country, naturalization, etc.) and for the recognition of refugees (granting and withdrawal of asylum). The SEM is subordinated to the Federal Department of Justice and Police.
Until 31 December 31 2014, the authority was called the Federal Office for Migration (FOM) (German: Bundesamt für Migration BFM, French: Office fédéral des migrations ODM).
The Federal Office for Migration (FOM) was created by the merger of the Federal Office for Immigration, Integration and Emigration (German: Bundesamt für Zuwanderung, Integration und Auswanderung (IMES), French: Office fédéral de l'immigration, de l'intégration et de l'émigration (IMES)) and the Federal Office for Refugees (German: Bundesamt für Migration (BFM), French: Office fédéral des réfugiés (ODR)). The merger was proposed by Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher and adopted by the Federal Council on 7 June 2004.[3]
On 1 January 2015, the FOM was renamed the State Secretariat for Migration, by decision of the Federal Council of 19 September 2014, in view of the "growing importance of the FOM, whose field of activity is increasingly vast".[4]
Christine Schraner Burgener has been State Secretary since the beginning of 2022.[5] She replaced Mario Gattiker, who had headed the agency since November 2011, initially on an interim basis.[6] The SEM is divided into a staff department and four main departments:
The SEM has 1300 employees[7] and an annual expenditure of about 1.6 million Swiss francs.[8] The State Secretariat also employs experts and interpreters who translate during interviews. These are deployed as needed and are compensated for their services on a time and material basis.
The headquarters of the State Secretariat is in Wabern bei Bern. In addition, six reception and processing centers (German: Empfangs- und Verfahrenszentren (EVZ)) for asylum seekers are operated, which are primarily responsible for the reception of asylum seekers at the national borders and for a summary interview on the travel route and the reasons for asylum. Since 2005, decisions on asylum applications have also been made there. The reception and procedure centers are located in Altstätten, Basel, Bern, Chiasso, Kreuzlingen and Vallorbe. In addition, the SEM maintains a department at Zurich Airport and Geneva Airport.
The State Secretariat is responsible for: