Switzerland books flights to resume Dublin asylum transfers to Italy in late August
The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration has scheduled initial transfer flights to Italy for late August 2026, ending a four-year suspension of Dublin asylum readmissions.
Resumption of Dublin transfers
Switzerland is preparing to restart transfers of asylum seekers to Italy at the end of August 2026, ending a suspension that lasted nearly four years. The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) confirmed that initial flight bookings have been completed for isolated test cases. Transfers will proceed on a gradual basis following consultations between Swiss and Italian authorities to prevent administrative overload. SEM spokesperson Magdalena Baker explained the bilateral approach in comments to Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
It is in Switzerland's interest that the resumption be managed in a way that is sustainable for both parties, so that the system functions effectively in the long term and is not overburdened.
EU migration pact and readmission rules
The planned transfers follow the entry into force of the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026. The pact provides financial assistance and solidarity mechanisms for Mediterranean border nations like Italy, provided that member states fulfill their Dublin obligations. Rome halted all Dublin transfers in December 2022 shortly after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took office, citing severe strain on its national reception facilities. Under current guidelines, Italian authorities intend to accept only asylum seekers who entered other Dublin countries after the 12 June effective date. Swiss migration officials confirmed that initial return flights focus strictly on post-June cases, though Bern has signed no agreement formally excluding earlier arrivals.
The new procedures must first be tested on the basis of current cases.
- Italy suspends Dublin asylum readmissions shortly after Giorgia Meloni takes office
- EU Pact on Migration and Asylum enters into force with financial relief provisions
- Swiss State Secretariat for Migration confirms booking first transfer flights
- Scheduled departure of initial Swiss transfer flights to Italy
Regional disputes and church asylum in Germany
The Swiss announcement coincides with wider disputes across Western Europe regarding Dublin readmissions to southern entry points. In Germany, federal authorities attempted to transfer three asylum seekers to Italy, but Italian officials refused the requests because the individuals entered Germany before 12 June. One of those cases involved a 22-year-old Somali woman scheduled for immediate deportation to Italy, who was granted church asylum by an ecumenical association in Nuremberg. She will remain under church protection while technical offices in Berlin and Rome negotiate her status. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has concurrently pursued coordination with Greece, Cyprus, and Malta to resist transfer demands from northern governments, including the administration of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Italian border pressures and Swiss expectations
Italian government officials face migration friction on multiple external fronts. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani conducted emergency consultations with Meloni during her summer recess in Puglia to address the Swiss bookings, German disputes, and Spanish border measures. Spanish authorities have screened more than 5,000 airline passengers arriving from Italy following irregular migrant movements near Ceuta and northern Morocco. In Bern, Swiss officials maintain that flights will move forward despite uncertain confirmation from Rome. SEM spokesperson Daniel Bach told SRF that Swiss authorities expect Italy to cooperate with the planned late August flights, noting that operational confirmation will depend on the first arrivals.
