Switzerland to tighten access for Ukrainian refugees
11 December 2024
The Swiss parliament voted to restrict the protection status for Ukrainian refugees. In the future, only Ukrainians from occupied territories or those parts of the country which are "under active attack by Russian forces," as the parliamentary request put it, will be granted the special status.
Implementing the law will be difficult, however, as Russian attacks occur time and again, even far from the front. The minister of asylum warned in vain that "there are no safe areas in Ukraine." A differentiation by region is also not likely to be sustainable because of the volatile security situation and the uncertain outcome of the war. In any case, all Ukrainians will have to submit an individual asylum application, with the risk of being rejected following a case-by-case assessment.
 | Céline Zahno Not only in Switzerland, solidarity with Ukraine seems to be crumbling. In October, Norway was the first European country to tighten its protection status. Based on that, refugees from certain areas in western Ukraine must now apply for asylum individually. Currently, the regions Lviv, Volhynia, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Rivne are treated as the "safe" zones. In Germany, political demands to reduce support for Ukrainian refugees have so far been unsuccessful. However, this could change: the conservative parties CDU and CSU plan to cut social benefits for Ukrainians in Germany if they win the elections in February. After almost three years of war, solidarity with Ukraine seems less unconditional and more pragmatic. Such an approach fits into the bigger picture of a tougher asylum debate in Europe. |
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