Historical background

The Federal Commission on Migration has two predecessors.

The Federal Commission for Foreigners FCF and
The Federal Commission for Refugees FCR

The FCF helped to shape the policies on foreign nationals for more than half a century. The founding and development of this institution are closely related to the political debates on foreigners, which have been lead throughout the years of its existence. The so called policy on foreign nationals developed between conflicting economic and social interests, between regulative aspirations and humanitarian justification. From the beginning on the FCF based its activities on a broad mandate and worked on various aspects of migration. In the course of time though, it increasingly focused on the «consensual cohabitation of the Swiss and the foreign populations». Thus the FCF worked towards promoting Integration to become a national political concern.

37 years FCF (PDF, 719 kB, 04.05.2012) (in German)

The FCR was appointed by the Federal Council in 1983. It was assigned to discuss questions concerning policies on asylum and refugees, addressed to it by the Federal Department of Justice and Police FDJP. It normally consisted of 15 members. Until 2002 the commission was headed by the director of the responsible federal office (initially the Federal Police Office, then the Federal Office for Refugees), and subsequently by a person independent of the federal administration. Such a shift had already been suggested by the commission itself in 1997. It thereby hoped to take on the role of an «active FCF in partnership-based processes of opinion-making». However the request for an increase of job shares within the secretariat (by 0,1 full-time equivalents) was not granted. Contrary to the FCF, the FCR didn't manage to expand its field of activities.

Legal foundations

Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA)
See Article 100b
Verordnung über die Integration von Ausländerinnen und Ausländern (VIntA)
See Articles 4 and 5