Italy closes its borders. Because new migrants are constantly arriving via the Mediterranean Sea, our southern neighbor will no longer be taking back Dublin refugees for the time being. Switzerland is currently unable to repatriate 184 people, although Italy would be responsible as the country of entry under the Dublin agreement. For the cantons, the decision comes at a time when they are already reaching their limits when it comes to the reception of the many asylum seekers.
“The asylum system has failed,” says SVP chairman Marco Chiesa (48). The unilateral breach of contract by the new Italian government clearly shows that the Schengen-Dublin system is not working. The external borders of the EU are still not sufficiently protected.
The SVP Council of States of Ticino therefore calls for an immediate freeze on the admission of asylum seekers from safe third countries. In addition to transit zones at the Swiss border, systematic checks are also required directly at the border with Italy: “Because Switzerland is also at the helm.”
London wants to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda
At the end of November, 70,000 Ukrainians in Switzerland had protection status S. And the normal number of asylum seekers is also increasing sharply. The State Secretariat for Migration expects 24,000 asylum applications for the current year. The SVP does not need to be asked twice. With regard to the 2023 election year, the party is fully focused on the issue of migration and immigration. The new SP minister of Justice Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) already welcomes her with a deluge of demands.
Now the SVP president is going one step further. He wants to take Great Britain as an example. Shortly before Christmas, a court there ruled that the British government’s plans to deport migrants who had entered the country illegally to Rwanda in East Africa were lawful. The project does not violate the Geneva Refugee Convention, it said in a statement from London’s Supreme Court.
Switzerland must also strive for an agreement
“The court concluded that it is legal for the UK government to ensure that asylum seekers are sent to Rwanda to have their asylum application examined in Rwanda and not in the UK,” the ruling said. The decision is based on a lawsuit filed by various asylum seekers and aid organizations.
Britain, led by former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson (58), had signed a controversial deal with Rwanda to fly asylum seekers to the East African country. This is to discourage people from crossing the English Channel to the island. Similar plans have been discussed in Denmark for some time.
A similar project must now also be investigated in Switzerland, Chiesa demands. This could significantly relieve the local asylum system. The SVP is working on further measures and requirements for a change in the asylum system. Too many economic refugees are still arriving, placing a “burden on the masses” of Swiss institutions. That has to change.