Is that the end of the solidarity towards the Ukrainians who are fleeing the war and are looking for protection in Switzerland? At least that is the case with some bourgeois politicians.
SVP National Councilor Martina Bircher (38) thinks that Switzerland “cannot go on forever as before”. In an advance, she calls for a tougher approach from the Federal Council. So she suggests “restricting the status S regionally and only granting it to people from eastern Ukraine,” like the “Sunday Newspaper” reported. Because the war is concentrated in this part of the country.
«Check who is entitled»
The SVP receives support from the FDP Councilor of States Andrea Caroni (42). “The protection status S should be designed dynamically,” he told the Sunday newspaper. “It must be checked periodically which groups of people from Ukraine are entitled.”
What is protection status S?
It is the first time that the Federal Council has activated protection status S. For the Ukrainian refugees, this means that they do not have to submit an individual application for asylum in order to stay in Switzerland for longer than three months. The status is limited to one year, but can be extended. If the refugees are still in Switzerland in five years, they would receive a B residence permit.
The Federal Council has also decided that Ukrainian refugees can work in Switzerland without a waiting period, and they do not need a permit to travel abroad. With S status, they are entitled to medical care and, if necessary, social assistance. The federal government pays the cantons compensation of CHF 18,000 per refugee per year.
It is the first time that the Federal Council has activated protection status S. For the Ukrainian refugees, this means that they do not have to submit an individual application for asylum in order to stay in Switzerland for longer than three months. The status is limited to one year, but can be extended. If the refugees are still in Switzerland in five years, they would receive a B residence permit.
The Federal Council has also decided that Ukrainian refugees can work in Switzerland without a waiting period, and they do not need a permit to travel abroad. With S status, they are entitled to medical care and, if necessary, social assistance. The federal government pays the cantons compensation of CHF 18,000 per refugee per year.
And he also thinks that a restriction to people from eastern Ukraine would make sense: “Should it be confirmed, for example, that western Ukraine is no longer affected by acts of war, the protection status might be limited to people from the east.”
However, Caroni wants to wait a little longer and coordinate any adjustments at European level.
Additional costs of one billion Swiss francs
In fact, Switzerland has taken in more war refugees in a very short time than it has in decades. Around 51,000 Ukrainians have entered the country since the beginning of March. And the federal government expects that there will be 120,000 by autumn.
And that costs money. The 51,000 who have fled to Switzerland so far are likely to cost the federal government one billion francs a year, like them “NZZ on Sunday” reported.
Nevertheless, the restriction initiated by Bircher and Caroni is very undisputed. This is what Central President Gerhard Pfister (59) calls a “highly problematic” step in foreign policy. “By restricting protection status S to part of Ukraine, we are anticipating the Russian war aims,” he told the Sunday newspaper. This is playing into Putin’s hand. Because you “promote the division of Ukraine”. In addition, two classes of Ukrainians are created. That doesn’t work.
Non-Ukrainians also get protection
But the SVP is also bothered by the fact that not only Ukrainians are granted protection in this country – but also people from other countries who have lived in Ukraine. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), 1,000 people have received status S protection so far, even though they are not Ukrainians. Russians make up the largest group with 238 people. The list also includes 76 people from Afghanistan, 23 from Iraq, 22 from Nigeria, 15 from Algeria, 11 from Syria and 10 from China. And there are also a few people with a passport from a European country who have received protection status.
The Federal Council decided in March that non-Ukrainians can also receive S status if they have a residence permit in Ukraine and cannot safely and permanently return to their homeland.
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And so, according to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the SEM has so far rejected 192 applications for S status in connection with refugees from Ukraine. Among them were 20 Nigerians, 14 Turkmen, eleven Turkish and ten Vietnamese nationals. (sf)
