“We must look for new solutions”: The Council of States wants to send rejected Eritreans back to third countries

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The Council of States accepted a proposal from Petra Gössi (FDP/SZ) on Wednesday. It requires rejected asylum seekers from Eritrea who cannot be returned to their home country to leave Switzerland and go to a third country. The decision was taken by 26 votes in favor and 16 against, with one abstention.

The Council of States had already approved a similar proposal last June. The National Council narrowly rejected this last December. The larger chamber must now deal with the issue again.

Gössi’s motion requires the Federal Council to conclude a transit agreement with an appropriate third country. The model would be an agreement that then-Justice Minister Ruth Metzler signed in Senegal in 2003, but which never came into force.

There is great unrest among the population that they are unable to return rejected Eritrean asylum seekers, according to Gössi. “You have to look for new solutions,” says Pirmin Schwander (SVP/SZ). Damian Müller (FDP/LU) pointed to several violent clashes between Eritrean nationals in Switzerland.

Alternatives requested

The Federal Council rejects the motion. Cooperation with Eritrea has improved and the number of Eritreans who have to leave the country has decreased slightly, says Minister of Justice Beat Jans. There are also fewer asylum applications from Eritrea.

“Yet we do not find the situation satisfactory,” says Jans. Eritrea is not willing to cooperate. However, according to Jans, a transit agreement like the one with Senegal in the early 2000s would not solve the problem. Only a maximum of 72 hours of transit would be possible. Many of those affected would then return to Switzerland.

“We all know that this motion will achieve nothing,” says Daniel Jositsch (SP/ZH). Other countries also have problems with deportation to Eritrea. It is important to look for other solutions together with the administration. (SDA)

Source:Blick