Against the will of the cantons: Bundesrat wants to take in UN refugees again

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Asylum minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) has won a small victory: the UN refugee resettlement program, currently suspended by Switzerland, will continue for the next two years. This was decided by the Bundesrat on Friday.

In the years 2024 and 2025, up to 1,600 particularly vulnerable refugees will be hosted, whose refugee status has already been determined by the UN. These people do not have to go through an asylum procedure here, but receive a residence permit.

Only if there are relaxations on the asylum front

However, that is not completely dry yet: according to the Federal Council, the condition is a clear relaxation of asylum accommodation and the approval of the cantons and municipalities. And it doesn’t look like it: Baume-Schneider only requested more than 130 million francs during the summer session just ended to create additional container villages on army sites if, as expected, more asylum seekers come to Switzerland in the fall.

The cantons have also opposed the resumption of the resettlement program. Also in February, the conference of cantonal directors of justice and police declared that the number of asylum seekers was too high and the developments in the war in Ukraine too uncertain. The Council of States also ruled against continuation of the program on Thursday.

Keller-Sutter had put the program on hold

Schneider-Baume’s predecessor Karin Keller-Sutter (59) had suspended the direct admission program for particularly vulnerable refugees at the end of November. Shortly after taking office, Baume-Schneider announced that he wanted to resume the program.

The fact that Baume-Schneider and with her the Bundesrat are now taking action on this is for organizational reasons in advance: for optimal planning, the framework for the program for 2024 and 2025 must be determined today. But that 1,600 is only a theoretical number: admission would only be activated once the situation in the asylum area had calmed down enough to guarantee care for these vulnerable people. And the cantons agree.

In order to be able to resettle in Switzerland, the persons concerned must meet certain conditions. In addition to the recognition of refugee status by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, this mainly concerns an increased need for protection and the willingness to integrate in Switzerland. In addition, resettled refugees are subject to a thorough security check.

At least 90 percent of the refugees to be resettled would be people who are victims of ongoing conflict and personal persecution in the Middle East and along the Central Mediterranean route. Switzerland will focus on three to five initial host countries. (sf/SDA)

Source:Blick