The Federal Council adopted amendments to Ordinance 2 on Asylum Financing (OA 2) concerning the duration of social assistance payments when a person’s status changes from provisional admission to recognised refugee.
Previously, the prior period of assistance under temporary admission was not counted, meaning cantons could receive five additional years of federal funding for the same person after a status change. The new rule accounts for the previous assistance, limiting the total federal reimbursement to five years, in line with other recognized refugees. This change follows the practice adjustment for Afghan women and girls introduced in July 2023, under which 2,634 individuals had converted from provisional admission to refugee status by March 2025.
A second amendment formalises the payment of emergency aid flat rates for beneficiaries of Protection S (beneficiaries of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine) in cases of non-admissibility, negative protection decisions, or revocation, aligning current practice with the asylum law.
These amendments will come into force on 1 July 2025.