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There are 33 pages that the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) preferred to keep hidden. It describes in detail the Swiss asylum practice for Eritrea. In concrete terms, this concerns the questions that federal employees ask asylum seekers from the country in the Horn of Africa. The document forms the basis for deciding who can stay and who cannot.
Unknown practices
At the beginning of August, the Federal Court decided that the SEM had to hand over the paper to a Vaud lawyer. Copies of this are available. The document reveals practices that are not known to the general public.
Two things stand out. A woman from Eritrea is normally not recognized as a refugee because she has been circumcised. The same applies if she was forced into marriage.
Big problem with Eritrean women
Regarding the threat of female genital mutilation, the SEM writes: “If there is no justified fear, such requests are usually rejected.” This means that only if the woman is individually threatened with genital mutilation can this be a reason for asylum. The same applies to the other countries of origin.
According to the SEM, “It must be investigated who exactly would demand and carry out circumcision against the will of those affected and why it would specifically be impossible for those affected to successfully defend themselves against it.”
Eritrean women must prove, among other things, that they sought help from the police or the women’s organization Hamade. However, according to SEM, many Eritreans are fleeing the authorities whose help they should seek.
Despite Eritrea’s ban on genital mutilation since 2007, 83 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone genital mutilation, according to Unicef figures. Only six countries perform worse.
Same problem with forced marriages
When it comes to forced marriages, which the SEM classifies as a violation of human rights, it sounds the same: “The asylum procedure is about whether there is fear of a future forced marriage and not whether a marriage has already taken place. ”
But the forced marriage may also have been a reason to flee to Europe. If the woman has to return to Eritrea, she may be in danger of having to return to the husband she was forcibly married to.
Trust the dictatorship
On the other hand, “the credible fear of forced marriage could lead to the granting of refugee status,” emphasizes Anne Césard, spokeswoman for the SEM. But “even if there is a fear of a forced marriage, the person concerned must be able to explain why he feels unable to successfully defend himself against this, if necessary with the help of the authorities.” It is striking that this is a dictatorship that is very isolated from the world.
The position of the Swiss asylum authorities on genital mutilation and forced marriages met with criticism from politicians: “In plain language: it is almost impossible to get protection for these reasons if you are Eritrean,” regrets Green National Councilor Christophe Clivaz (54). .
Moreover, “it is problematic that the Swiss authorities are hiding behind the fact that the Eritrean government has taken measures,” complains the National Council of Valais. “Especially when this government is known for its massive abuse of its people.”
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
