The Council of States calls for pilot asylum: The Council of States wants to deport expelled Eritreans to Rwanda

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The motion of FDP member of the Council of States Damian Müller (38/LU), passed by the small chamber on Monday with 20 votes in favour, 18 against and five abstentions, calls for a pilot project that would make it possible to send rejected asylum seekers to a third country. This would be compensated by Switzerland. Müller cites Rwanda as an example.

That does not mean that the asylum procedure is outsourced, Müller clarifies. These are people who have completed an asylum procedure in Switzerland, have received a negative decision and do not need international protection. Those affected could travel from Rwanda to another country.

There is no legal basis for the Bundesrat

The Green Lisa Mazzone (35/GE) called the motion “unrealistic”. A large part of the asylum applications from Eritreans are secondary applications after births and family reunifications. To relieve the burden on the social system, people from Eritrea who have been in the country for a long time must be able to work.

The Bundesrat was also concerned. Rejected asylum seekers could only be sent to a third country if they had a connection there. There is no legal basis for funding the necessary pilot project and human rights standards must be guaranteed in the third country.

According to the Federal Council, Eritrea does not accept the involuntary return of its citizens. If the required project is carried out, this means de facto moving to a third country.

Increase pressure on Algeria

The States Council approved a second motion by Damian Müller (FDP/LU) on repatriations. To get Algeria to cooperate with forced repatriations, this motion requires the Federal Council to ask for restrictions on the issuance of Schengen Area visas under the Schengen Code. The Council of States adopted it on Monday with 28 votes in favour, 11 against and 3 abstentions.

The cantons are facing enormous problems because repatriations to Algeria do not work despite repatriation agreements, says Müller. Those who refuse to return to their home country can therefore de facto stay in Switzerland.

The Bundesrat sees no need for action

The Federal Council disagreed with his negative statement. Cooperation with Algeria is now going very well, he wrote. Returning by plane is also possible. Besides Ukraine, Algeria is the third country to which the most departures from Switzerland took place in 2022.

However, given the high number of asylum applications, the pending cases of Algerians remained high, Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) said in the Council.

The two motions now go to the National Council. (SDA)

Source:Blick