Deported to Sri Lanka or Eritrea: deportation practices in Switzerland are so different

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Tied up and escorted by police officers: deportation by special flight is the most severe coercive measure taken by Swiss authorities against rejected asylum seekers.

It is used relatively rarely: the majority of deportees leave Switzerland on scheduled flights, unaccompanied by the police.

But there are people who refuse to leave the country for years. In these cases, the federal government can organize special flights. Switzerland booked a total of 49 such flights last year – 339 people were repatriated.

This means that on average there were only seven rejected asylum seekers on board a special flight.

Agreement with Sri Lanka

Switzerland has entered into so-called migration partnerships with countries such as Sri Lanka. These form the basis for the special flights. Other countries refuse such bilateral agreements, making forced deportations impossible. An example of this is Eritrea.

According to the Federal Office for Migration (SEM), 61 people were deported to Sri Lanka last year, 57 of whom were rejected asylum seekers. The year before there were 54 people.

Switzerland reprimanded

The end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009 also had consequences for Swiss asylum practices. In a landmark 2011 ruling, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that most areas inhabited by Tamils ​​were safe again and also offered sufficient economic opportunities. It is therefore reasonable that people who are not recognized as refugees return.

However, Switzerland has already been reprimanded for its practice. In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights because Switzerland had deported a Tamil and he was arrested and abused in Sri Lanka after his repatriation. According to the Court, Switzerland should have been aware of the risk in the country of deportation.

Refugee aid calls for a stop

Before the SEM orders a deportation, each asylum application is examined individually and in detail, taking into account “all essential circumstances”, the SEM informs when requested. We also continuously monitor the situation on site.

In recent years, Swiss refugee aid has repeatedly called for no more deportations to Sri Lanka. The food security of the population has been at risk since the 2022 economic crisis, medical treatment remains limited and the human rights situation is worrying.

Source:Blick