[5] At the end of the war, the Central Office for Refugee Aid offered legal advice, helped repatriate displaced persons, and advocated permanent asylum for those unable to travel.

[6] In 1966, Federal Councillor von Moos appealed to the public on the eve of a fund-raising event for the organization: "The Central Office for Refugee Aid, a private institution founded 30 years ago, and its affiliated charities [...] carry out a noble task, the effects of which are felt far beyond our borders.

The Confederation's contribution covers 90% of relief services, with the remaining 10% provided by the Central Office for Refugee Aid via its national fund-raising campaign.

[9] In its annual press release, the Central Office for Refugee Aid pointed out that "Years ago, the Central Office's national collection covered 50% of the costs of direct assistance and support for uprooted people in difficulty, with the remainder paid by the Confederation".

[11] In 1985, the Central Office for Refugee Aid expected the Confederation to make its intentions more transparent and to take responsibility for them", criticizing the waiting time between the submission of an asylum application and the decision handed down by the authorities.

[13] In 1989, the relief organizations called on political parties, churches, associations and cantons to conclude a "social pact", following the federal report on asylum strategy in the 1990s.

It also called for a more generous acceptance practice, given the "indisputable hardening" of asylum policy over the previous twenty years.

According to its charter, its main missions are to ensure that the asylum procedure is fair and complies with the Constitution, to promote the active participation of refugees in the economic, social, cultural and political life of Switzerland, and to ensure that rejected asylum seekers are returned in safety and dignity.

On behalf of the Confederation, the Swiss Refugee Council coordinates and trains the aid organization representatives to enable them to carry out their task.

The Swiss Refugee Council continually prepares and publishes country analyses, with regular updates, and produces expert reports on specific asylum issues.

Every two years, the "Swiss Asylum Symposium" takes place, organized in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The organizations associated with the Swiss Refugee Council are the Christian Peace Movement (CPM), the International Social Service (ISS), Liechtenstein Refugee Aid, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) and the Liechtenstein Red Cross.