Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (58) has to be prepared for a lot. She will start as the new SP minister of justice on 1 January. And that at a time when Europe is struggling with the largest influx of refugees since the Second World War. In Switzerland alone, about 70,000 Ukrainians sought protection at the end of November.
The normal number of asylum seekers has also been rising for months. In September, 2,681 applications were submitted, the highest number since the 2015 refugee crisis. And the numbers keep rising. For the current year, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) expects a total of 22,000 asylum applications, 7,000 more than last year. And the end is not yet in sight.
A deluge of new and old requirements
The SVP does not need to be asked twice. After all, asylum migration is one of their core themes. And now that the left is back in charge of the responsible department, the subject can be stirred up even more easily. Certainly in the election year 2023, that should be worthwhile for the party. The SVP welcomes the new SP federal councilor with a deluge of new and old demands in the new office. She shrinks from almost nothing. Some claims violate applicable law.
Upper limit for asylum applications: The Federal Council should set a numerical upper limit for the acceptance of applications that corresponds to the average for the years 2020 and 2021. That is what St. Gallen State Councilman Mike Egger (30) is demanding. Because of the overcrowded asylum seekers centers, the federal government is now deporting thousands of asylum seekers to the cantons before their applications are completed.
Transit zones: Together with the border cantons, the federal government should create transit zones with accommodation and processing areas at the national borders. “Access should only be granted after a positive asylum decision,” demands Andreas Glarner (60), national councilor of Aargau. Until then, the asylum seekers must remain in one of the zones. Anyone who receives a negative asylum decision must be returned to the country of entry.
Abolition of status S: The temporary admission of persons who are regarded as in need of protection takes place without an asylum procedure. Egger is convinced that this has resulted in reception structures at all levels of government becoming overburdened. In addition, there is unequal treatment compared to all other asylum seekers. The abolition of status S is necessary “for the acceptance and credibility of the welfare state and the asylum system”, he says.
The package of requirements of the SVP goes even further. The party wants to completely undermine the Swiss asylum system with a number of advances:
stop recording: SVP vice-chairman Marcel Dettling (41) presents two variants here. One is an immediate admission freeze because some 100,000 refugees had already come to the country by 2022. In addition, he proposes to only accept as many asylum seekers as the temporarily admitted asylum seekers (currently almost 45,000) leave the country again. Dettling wants to put pressure on the authorities: in the past ten years, only 120 people who have not been granted asylum have left the country.
Suspension of the right of asylum in case of status S: The Aargau national councilor Martina Bircher (38) is convinced that the uncomplicated status S, which has been extended until March 2024, will lead to a “welcome culture” for refugees from all over the world. In September, for the first time, more people applied for asylum than protection status S – and the trend continues. “Municipalities and cantons everywhere are reaching their capacity limits,” warns Bircher. Therefore, asylum applications may no longer be accepted as long as status S applies.
Schengen Dublin boarding stop: Glarner wants all applications rejected by people entering Dublin countries from Schengen. This would affect all surrounding states. Access would only be possible by plane. And: “People whose request is no longer honored should be accommodated in special accommodations in the most unattractive places.” They only received emergency aid, but no social assistance or other funds.
“We want to help the Federal Council with these plans,” Bircher assures. The former FDP justice minister Karin Keller-Sutter (58) always looked for an EU-wide solution, says Dettling: “But if you hope that all member states agree, you also believe in the stork.” Switzerland needs its own asylum solutions. “We don’t just want to criticize, we want to present concrete proposals for a solution,” emphasizes Egger. “In this way we want to make the start easier for Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.”