© KEYSTONE/MARTIAL TREZZINI
The refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine is the fastest growing of all time, according to migration expert Eduard Gnesa. The last time such a large number of refugees arrived in Switzerland was during the Kosovo war.
Between 1998 and 1999, some 80,000 refugees from the Balkans arrived in Switzerland, recalls Mr. Gnesa, former extraordinary ambassador for migrations, in an interview published Tuesday in the NZZ. In the context of the war in Ukraine, the Confederation currently expects to take in up to 60,000 refugees.
Poland and other Eastern European countries have the merit of having taken in 1.7 million Ukrainian refugees, notes Mr. Gnesa, who doubts however that these States will be able to control the flow of refugees for much longer. The time will come when it will be necessary to speak of a distribution key within the EU, an issue that the French EU presidency must examine, he adds.
For the former ambassador, Switzerland was right to offer its support. Europe can only master this crisis together. A totally independent migration policy is an illusion, stresses Mr. Gnesa, who recalls that Switzerland has already participated in the EU’s redistribution programme.
He believes that Switzerland can master the current refugee crisis, even if it proves difficult. “With the emergency planning of the Confederation and the cantons, but also private accommodation, we are better placed today than during the Kosovo war”, he assures.
And to add that integration will play an important role. Many women have fled Ukraine. It is to be hoped that they will be able to quickly work in certain trades which face a shortage of manpower, such as care or gastronomy, he notes. Language is a barrier, however, as is the recognition of qualifications, he concedes.
