Asylum debate on controversial change in practice for Afghan women postponed: SVP stopped by motion for order

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

The SVP’s anger at Asylum Minister Elisabeth Schneider-Baume (59) is great: in the summer the federal government changed its asylum practice for women and girls from Afghanistan. So far, they have usually only been accepted provisionally. As a rule, they are now recognized as refugees, receive asylum and therefore a residence permit. That’s how it is done in the EU.

As a result of the change in practice, a significant increase in the number of applications from Afghan nationals who have been living in Switzerland for a long time (about 700) was recorded in September. However, in October the number of such requests started to decrease again (around 300).

Special session in Parliament

Yet 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, a proposal from SVP Landraad Gregor Rutz (51, ZH) was on the agenda in the National Council. He demands that the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) return to the old practice. An identical FDP motion by Philippe Bauer (61) will be discussed in the Council of States on Wednesday. Especially for these initiatives, an extraordinary session was planned in both councils on the topic “Asylum practice in relation to Afghan women”.

Drop by after a few minutes

But the ghost was over after just a few minutes! The National Council accepted a proposal for regulation from Mitte boss Gerhard Pfister (61) by 98 votes to 86 with five abstentions. He demanded that the motion be rejected by the responsible state political committee.

Justice will have a new head, Beat Jans (59), who should be given the opportunity to tackle the issue, Pfister argued. Pfister also referred to a new decision by the Federal Administrative Court on Afghan asylum seekers. Finally, the responsible committees must discuss the initiative in their new composition.

Rutz unsuccessfully defended himself against the rejection. “Not a single woman from Afghanistan will be sent back,” he stressed. It’s just a matter of returning to the old practice. But the National Council will discuss this later.

Source:Blick