Relationship dossier
Eritrea
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation on development and migration, with asylum policy a sensitive issue.
Eritrea toward Switzerland
+10Eritrean authorities have engaged with Switzerland in migration dialogue and have cooperated with Swiss development activities in Eritrea, including vocational training initiatives.
Switzerland toward Eritrea
+15Switzerland has supported development activities in Eritrea, including vocational training, and has pursued government dialogue on migration. Swiss asylum policy toward Eritrean nationals has been a sensitive bilateral issue.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines Swiss development cooperation and migration dialogue with sensitivity over Switzerland’s treatment of Eritrean asylum seekers. These practical areas of engagement support a generally cooperative but limited bilateral relationship; the scale and durability of cooperation are not clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Eritrea and Switzerland have engaged in migration dialogue and Swiss development cooperation in Eritrea, including support for vocational training. Swiss asylum policy toward Eritrean nationals has also been a sensitive issue in bilateral discussions. These areas indicate practical cooperation alongside migration-related friction, though the scope and continuity of government-to-government engagement are unclear.
Areas of tension
- Swiss asylum decisions concerning Eritrean nationals and related migration policy.
Key developments
Switzerland pursued migration dialogue with Eritrean authorities.
Swiss development cooperation in Eritrea included vocational training initiatives.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Swiss development cooperation in Eritrea are unclear.
- The extent and continuity of bilateral migration dialogue are uncertain.