Switzerland says no to relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece
Switzerland has rejected a second asylum seeker relocation programme proposed by the European Union to relieve the burden on frontier countries like Italy and Greece.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/ac
According to the SonntagsBlick paper, a spokesperson from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has confirmed that currently Switzerland has no plans to renew its commitment to accept asylum seekers from southern European countries. The Alpine nation had participated in the first such relocation programme in 2015, pledging to take in 1,500 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece. So far, 902 asylum seekers from Italy and 579 from Greece have been admitted under the first relocation programme.
The EU had launched a second relocation programme last autumn and in a letter from EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, Switzerland was also asked to accommodate as many people as possible. The request was rejected. According to the SEM, there are no longer enough people in Greece and Italy who meet the criteria for resettlement, says the articleExternal link published on Sunday. According to these criteria, the persons must have been registered by the EU migration authorities before October 2017 and have a very high chance of obtaining a positive asylum decision.
More
More
Libya’s migrants: Swiss role in Europe’s response
This content was published on
As Switzerland receives a first group of refugees from Libyan detention centres, we look at the international response to the crisis.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Over 1,000 take part in memorial ride for deceased Swiss cyclist
This content was published on
Around 1,500 people took part in a memorial ride on Sunday for World Cycling Championship participant Muriel Furrer, who died after an accident.
Swiss survey shows majority want new nuclear power plants
This content was published on
More than half the Swiss population supports the government's plan to lift a ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants.
This content was published on
The majority of high level decisions in Swiss companies remains in the hands of men, says the latest Gender Intelligence Report.
Swiss canton wants to test collection of electronic signatures for initiatives
This content was published on
St Gallen wants to become the first Swiss canton to use electronic signatures (e-collecting) for referendums or initiatives.
Swiss government launches attempt to secure 2038 Winter Olympics
This content was published on
After failing to host the Winter Olympics in 2030 and 2034, Switzerland is trying again - this time for the 2038 Winter Games.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss call for European solidarity on asylum
This content was published on
At a meeting of European ministers in Brussels on Thursday, Sommaruga said that Switzerland will honour its promise of taking in 1,500 refugees from Italy and Greece by the end of this year. “The programme only works if everyone acts in the same manner,” she said. “It [refusal to honour quotas] annoys me because we…
This content was published on
The Monjids - a family of four - are so-called resettlement refugees. How easy has it been for them to settle into life in Switzerland?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.