Keller-Sutter does not want economic migrants

As the population in Europe shrinks, it could double in African countries by 2050, Keller-Sutter said in an interview with the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung.” 40 percent of the people there are under the age of 15. They wanted to go where there was prosperity and democracy.

The acceptance of people fleeing Ukraine is greater than that of refugees from other regions. This is probably due to the war taking place in Europe – a twelve hour drive from St. Gallen. And that more than 80 percent of the displaced from Ukraine are women and children.

However, there is less understanding when young men seek shelter here after already crossing several safe countries. Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition offers protection to those who need it because their lives and limbs are threatened. Switzerland, on the other hand, does not want economic migration under the heading of ‘asylum’.

“We don’t want illegal migration. We don’t want secondary migration. And we don’t want people coming to us who don’t need our protection,” she said. That is why she intervened with her Austrian counterpart at the EU because of the Serbian visa policy.

Every second person picked up by the border guard comes to Switzerland via the Balkan route. Serbia has now responded to pressure from the EU. Switzerland can assume that Serbia will change its visa practice by the end of this year.

The criticism by German opposition politicians that Switzerland is smuggling refugees to other countries via its eastern border, thereby violating its obligations as a member of the Schengen area, was discussed with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. Faeser regretted this statement. There is no official criticism.

(SDA)