The Federal Asylum Center at Grand-Saconnex in the canton of Geneva will open on 16 June 2025 with a capacity of 250 places, serving as a non-procedural center. It will host single adults and families with children, but no unaccompanied minors. Residents may stay up to 140 days according to Swiss asylum law.
The CFA accommodates both applicants whose asylum procedure is ongoing and those whose applications have been rejected. It complements other regional asylum centers, including one with procedural functions in Boudry/NE and three non-procedural CFAs in Chevrilles/FR, Vallorbe/VD, and Grand-Saconnex/GE.
The center features a medical infirmary, multiple dining areas, activity rooms, classrooms for cantonally organized schooling, sports and play areas, raised garden beds and covered pavilions. It is located on a plot shared with the canton but with separate access points for federal and cantonal buildings.
Operational management is handled by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), which contracts providers for 24/7 security and supervision, daily activities and community-oriented programs. Residents are allowed daily outdoor access from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m..
A cooperation group of SEM, cantonal, municipal and civil society representatives will oversee the center’s operations.