Switzerland stops taking earthquake victims

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After the terrible earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February, which claimed tens of thousands of lives, Switzerland introduced a so-called accelerated procedure for visa applications from the affected region. Anyone who has lost their home to the earthquake and has close relatives in Switzerland can benefit.

According to the latest figures from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), about 300 people from the disaster area have so far benefited from an accelerated procedure, 239 from Turkey and 59 from Syria. A total of 298 people benefited from the accelerated visa procedure. Now the accelerated visa program should be over, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” writes.

According to the newspaper, the SEM informed the National Council’s state political committee of the decision this week and said that prioritization of visa procedures for earthquake victims would soon be halted. At the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency, the SEM confirmed the corresponding report in the “NZZ am Sonntag”

It should be ready by mid-May

The “NZZ am Sonntag” writes that Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59) wants to end the program in mid-May. The newspaper relies on “well-informed sources”.

The Basel Green National Council Sibel Arslan (42) is disappointed with this decision. She had campaigned for the rapid issuance of visas. Although the planned stop does not come as a surprise, she tells the “NZZ am Sonntag”, she would have liked to see the program extended into the summer. Because: The humanitarian situation in the earthquake zone is still precarious. There are epidemics, too little drinking water and still almost no housing.

‘Not many people came in’

For Marianne Binder-Keller (64), the central national councilor of Zurich, the exercise would not be mandatory. She tells the “NZZ am Sonntag” that the victims of the earthquake in Switzerland can live with relatives and not burden the public sector because their families would pay the full costs.

The plans are more to the liking of liberal migration politician Andri Silberschmidt (29): The earthquake was some time ago, so it was logical to stop the accelerated procedure. Especially since “not many people” entered Switzerland. (Okay)

Source:Blick