Switzerland says no to relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece

Italian interior minister giving a presentation on migrants — The current Italian government has taken a hardline approach to migrants arriving on its shores with the aim of persuading other EU countries to do their "fair share". Keystone

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 July 1, 2018 - 13:18

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.

African men waiting in place of detention

Libya’s migrants: Swiss role in Europe’s response

This content was published on Apr 4, 2018 As Switzerland receives a first group of refugees from Libyan detention centres, we look at the international response to the crisis.

What is the future of Swiss neutrality?

Is Swiss neutrality misunderstood? Or has the Swiss model of neutrality now become obsolete?

Join the discussion

Sep 13, 2024

298 Likes

183 Comments

View the discussion

How should Switzerland relieve congestion on its motorways?

On November 24, Swiss voters will decide on a government proposal to expand the motorway network. What do you think about this?

Join the discussion

Oct 28, 2024

60 Likes

73 Comments

View the discussion

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.

Join the discussion

Sep 23, 2024

21 Likes

25 Comments

View the discussion

News

Paul Scherrer Institute in northern Switzerland

New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.

SBB launches campaign for safety on public transport

Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.

Artificial intelligence to improve weather and climate forecasts

Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.

Swiss property prices continue to rise

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.

Swiss beekeepers to harvest less honey in 2024

Swiss beekeepers report below-average honey harvest

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.

More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.

Better protecting children from psychological abuse

One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.

Albert Rösti's half-mea culpa for his remarks on Trump

Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy

This content was published on Nov 4, 2024 Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.

Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations

This content was published on Nov 3, 2024 The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.

Swiss man found dead in Jakarta

This content was published on Nov 3, 2024 A 34-year-old Swiss man has been found dead in the room he was renting in Jakarta.

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

Swiss call for European solidarity on asylum

This content was published on Sep 14, 2017 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…

House with Swiss flag hanging from the fassade.

Behind closed doors: where refugees call home in Switzerland

This content was published on Jun 20, 2018 There are 68.5 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide as a result of war, and natural or man-made disasters.

Syrian refugees ‘resettle in’ to Switzerland

This content was published on Apr 28, 2018 The Monjids - a family of four - are so-called resettlement refugees. How easy has it been for them to settle into life in Switzerland?

Switzerland says no to relocation of migrants from Italy and Greece

More

Libya’s migrants: Swiss role in Europe’s response

Most Discussed