Identification and Security Checks

Cooperation in the Schengen area is being expanded by the EU and the Schengen States against the backdrop of high asylum and migration figures and threats to the internal security. Switzerland must incorporate further developments into national law. At the same time, Switzerland and the SEM are pursuing their own efforts to meet the aforementioned challenges.

One of the SEM's tasks is to systematically and clearly identify foreign nationals. In addition, persons are subjected to security checks in order to identify potential risks and take appropriate measures. The tasks support the various SEM procedures, namely residence and settlement permits, naturalizations and asylum and return decisions. They also serve the internal security of Switzerland.

These tasks are to be carried out even more effectively and efficiently in the future. With this in mind, the new Identification and Security Checks Division AIS will be launched on 01.01.2025 within the Immigration and Integration Directorate. The AIS supports various departments within the SEM, other federal offices, cantonal offices and foreign authorities in verifying the identity of foreign nationals. It is the Swiss access point for the European fingerprint database Eurodac. It serves the SIRENE Office of Switzerland as the SEM contact point for clarifications on persons in the Schengen Information System SIS. It verifies the authenticity and personal affiliation of identity documents. Finally, the AIS carries out its own projects within the framework of Schengen developments such as interoperability and Eurodac. It also implements national legislative mandates, such as the analysis of asylum seekers' cell phones for identification purposes.