The Swiss government has decided to add Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia to its list of safe countries, which includes Ghana.

Under Swiss law, asylum seekers from countries considered safe are not automatically protected against expulsion.

However, this does not apply to people who claim to be victims of persecution.

The justice ministry said respect for human rights in the countries of origin and the number of unjustified asylum requests were key factors in the decision. Most European countries, Senegal, Gambia and Ghana, as well as India and Mongolia, feature on the list of safe countries.

Last year, 26,125 people applied for asylum in Switzerland, including just under 3,000 from safe countries.