Faced with an anticipated influx of asylum seekers into Switzerland this autumn, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is opposed to the federal government managing the entire process. The current "patchwork of responsibilities" offers "extremely valuable" solutions.
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وزيرة العدل السويسرية تشيد باللامركزية في إدارة شؤون اللجوء
“We can’t centralise decisions and pool costs,” said the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police in an interview published in Le Matin Dimanche on Sunday. She said she is sensitive to the reality of the cantons.
However, the Social Democrat minister points out that “more creative political tools” could be envisaged in times of pressure. “The Covid [-19] crisis, the energy crisis and the climate crisis all call into question the system”.
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Switzerland records 43% surge in asylum claims in first half of 2023
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The number of asylum seekers have increased but this is not unexpected, says the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is expecting 28,000 asylum applications this year. Depending on geopolitical developments, this number could rise to 35,000. Between 20,000 and 25,000 people fleeing Ukraine are also expected to apply for asylum.
The cantons and municipalities will be providing 1,800 additional reception places for asylum seekers, the SEM announced on Friday. The remaining 1,200 places are currently being clarified. The government needs 3,000 additional places.
The agreement with the cantons “shows that trust has been established”, remarked Baume-Schneider, for whom the senate’s refusal in June to create 3,000 reception places in shipping containers was not due to unpreparedness. The situation “is complex and the process of dealing with political issues […] takes time”.
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