class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>
Freshta Rahimi* (18) has a clear goal in mind. She wants to obtain a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in three years. The young Afghan woman lives with her family in the French-speaking part of the canton of Bern and is doing an internship as an electronics technician in St-Imier in the Bernese Jura. She speaks fluent French and even better English – and is currently working on her German so that she can soon study bilingually in Freiburg. The Rahimi family came to Switzerland only a few years ago.
One hurdle on the way to her professional goal is Freshta’s F-ID card. The letter stands for provisionally accepted. The majority of Afghans have been granted this status so far because they do not yet meet the requirements to be recognized as refugees in Switzerland.
Switzerland grants asylum to Afghan women
As a temporarily admitted person, Freshta is only allowed to travel abroad under strict conditions, she cannot simply move to another canton and she has disadvantages when looking for a job. For example, she was unable to take the language course in London, which is actually mandatory in her education, Freshta reports. “The school had to find a special solution for me several times,” she says.
Now, these restrictions will soon no longer apply to Freshta and many other Afghan women. Over the summer, the federal government changed its asylum practices for women and girls from Afghanistan. As a rule, they are now recognized as refugees, receive asylum and therefore a residence permit. Afghan women like Freshta who already live in Switzerland can also apply to change their status. The Rahimi family is currently waiting for the decision.
SVP and FDP fight against change
However, there is resistance in parliament. The SVP and FDP criticize the change in practice and accuse the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) of having implemented it “quietly and secretly”.
On Tuesday, the National Council will now negotiate a proposal from Gregor Rutz (51). The SVP National Council wants the SEM to return to the old practice. An identical FDP motion by Philipp Bauer (61) will be discussed in the Council of States on Wednesday.
Rutz fears that Switzerland is sending “wrong signals”: “Our asylum system is already at its limits.” This decision means that even more people who have been living in third countries for a long time have come to Switzerland.
The SEM contradicts this: Since the change in practice, the number of asylum applications from Afghan women new to Switzerland has not increased sustainably, the State Secretariat announced at the end of November.
Will the center join the bourgeoisie?
The SVP motion could find a majority on Tuesday if it supports the center alongside the FDP. This did not want to be looked at on Monday. There are “still open questions” as a result of a recent decision by the Federal Administrative Court. They therefore want to reject the committee’s proposal for a preliminary investigation, says centrist parliamentary group leader Philipp Matthias Bregy (45).
The Federal Administrative Court has just approved a complaint by two Afghan women against their deportation. Accordingly, they should be granted asylum in Switzerland. The court thus supports the new asylum practice of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
A self-determined life for women and girls in Afghanistan is not possible under the current Taliban regime, concludes the verdict published by “NZZ am Sonntag”.
What does this ruling mean for the further treatment of female refugees from Afghanistan? Should Switzerland now grant these women general asylum? Not at all, says SVP Councilor and lawyer Gregor Rutz (51). This is not a fundamental judgment, because only three judges made the decision. “Only reference was made to the individual case,” Rutz told Blick. Otherwise, the court would have had to assign five judges to the case.
The SEM emphasizes that it assesses each application on a case-by-case basis. And since the change in practice, around 20 percent of asylum applications are still rejected. (she)
The Federal Administrative Court has just approved a complaint by two Afghan women against their deportation. Accordingly, they should be granted asylum in Switzerland. The court thus supports the new asylum practice of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
A self-determined life for women and girls in Afghanistan is not possible under the current Taliban regime, concludes the verdict published by “NZZ am Sonntag”.
What does this ruling mean for the further treatment of female refugees from Afghanistan? Should Switzerland now grant these women general asylum? Not at all, says SVP Councilor and lawyer Gregor Rutz (51). This is not a fundamental judgment, because only three judges made the decision. “Only reference was made to the individual case,” Rutz told Blick. Otherwise, the court would have had to assign five judges to the case.
The SEM emphasizes that it assesses each application on a case-by-case basis. And since the change in practice, around 20 percent of asylum applications are still rejected. (she)
The Federal Council rejects the citizens’ initiative. In his response, he wrote that the situation in Afghanistan “remains bad.” In addition, the European Asylum Agency has also stated in its current guidelines that women and girls are restricted in their freedom of movement, expression and behavior under the Taliban.
Fear of Taliban
Freshta Rahimi’s family also watched on television as the Taliban came to power. ‘It was just terrible. We sat in the room and we were all crying,” says the young woman, tears flashing in her eyes.
She talks about her friends in Afghanistan, with whom she is still in touch. “They are no longer allowed to go to school and are almost never allowed to leave the house.” Freshta’s quiet voice is almost lost in the loud café. She is only 18 years old, but her words and the purposeful way she expresses herself make her seem at least ten years older. Freshta explains her maturity because she had to take responsibility very early because of the escape. The family left the Afghan capital Kabul, among other things, because relatives were in danger. The family has asked Blick not to provide any further information about the escape for their safety. The fear of the Taliban is also present in Switzerland.
At some point, Freshta hopes to return to her home country. “Of course I would like to live there again if the security situation allows it,” she says. But for now it is clear to her that she wants to stay in Switzerland. She wants to learn languages, get a good education and earn money. All things that are currently impossible for girls and women in Afghanistan.
*Name changed
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.
