Of the 73,553 African nationals recorded in 2007, 78% were considered permanent residents in Switzerland (including recognized refugees, accounting for about 8%), while the remaining 22% were asylum seekers.
In April 2010, the director of the Federal Office for Migration (BFM), Alard du Bois-Reymond, issued a statement on the large number of unfounded requests for asylum by nationals of Nigeria in particular.
[citation needed] Switzerland has signed a technical agreement on re-admittance in the case of repatriation of rejected asylum seekers with four African countries, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea and Sierra Leone.
[10] Notable Swiss people of African origin are found mostly in sports, especially football, including José Gonçalves, Gelson Fernandes, Gilberto Reis, Oumar Kondé, Bruce Lalombongo, Enes Fermino, Badile Lubamba, Hervé Makuka, Mobulu M'Futi, Ugor Nganga, Blaise Nkufo, Cédric Tsimba, Johan Djourou, Owusu Benson, Richmond Rak, Kim Jaggy, Breel Embolo, and Manuel Akanji.
[11] Mandy Abou Shoak, whose family immigrated from Sudan, is a politician for the Social Democratic Party and a human rights activist.