Switzerland should also accept Russian conscientious objectors

They left Russia by the tens of thousands. Since ruler Vladimir Putin, 70, called for partial mobilization in September, men of all ages have been fleeing to avoid being killed in the war in Ukraine. Those caught risk draconian punishments.

While Germany has been open to accepting Russian conscientious objectors, the Bundesrat is much more reserved. Although they can apply for a visa at a Swiss representation for humanitarian reasons, the chances of success are extremely slim – even during the raging war in Ukraine.

Asylum options are being expanded

Those affected should be in a special emergency situation that makes official intervention absolutely necessary and justifies the issuance of an entry visa. They must be “seriously and concretely endangered with life and limb” in their country of origin.

Céline Widmer (44) of the SP from Zurich does not want to accept that. Together with her centre-left comrades-in-arms, she calls on the Federal Council to amend the asylum law. Conscientious objection should no longer be excluded as grounds for asylum “if there is a risk that the person concerned will have to participate in war crimes”.

The risk of war crimes is high

And especially in the war in Ukraine, the danger here is great. “There is overwhelming evidence that Russian warfare in Bucha, Mariupol and countless other places is a war crime,” Widmer emphasizes in her initiative. It is therefore particularly worrying that the current asylum law does not protect people who are most likely to have participated in such war crimes in Switzerland.

In Germany, for example, different rules apply here. For example, the European Court of Justice ruled in 2015 that a conscientious objector has the right to asylum if he must expect his troops to commit war crimes.

So far hardly any Russian asylum seekers

To date, however, the Federal Council has not wanted to change the previous visa practice, mainly because there has been no influx of Russian asylum seekers in Switzerland so far. According to the State Secretariat for Migration, only 26 people from Russia applied for asylum in October. In September there were 31 applications and in August 18. In the months before, only between 10 and 20 asylum applications were reported.

However, the Federal Council assumes that due to the partial mobilization “a slight to moderate increase in asylum applications from Russian nationals is possible in the coming weeks”.

So far, the Federal Council has had little doubt that it has no interest in fueling this potential increase. On the contrary: with the usual ways of applying for asylum, “Switzerland is doing its part to overcome the challenges that arose during the Russian partial mobilization,” the government said.

But SP councilor Widmer still has reason to hope: with the change of responsible justice and police from FDP federal councilor Karin Keller-Sutter (58) to the new SP federal councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (58), the attitude should also change. change change in the Federal Council. (dba)