Authorities have announced that they will consider the financial situation of Ukrainian refugees with Status S when evaluating requests for social assistance. This brings requirements in line with those for other temporarily admitted persons in Switzerland.
This content was published on
1 minute
SRF/jdp
Português
pt
Governo aumenta assistência social para refugiados ucranianos
Some 60,000 people from Ukraine have arrived in Switzerland and received S protection status, which allows them to receive social assistance as well as work in the country. Up to now, the decision of whether to provide such benefits hasn’t considered the person’s income or assets. This contrasts to how temporarily admitted people from other countries have been treated.
More
More
Switzerland triggers unprecedented special status for Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Victims of the war in Ukraine get a special S permit which Switzerland has never used before.
“We noticed that there was a certain amount of public criticism of the different treatment of those temporarily admitted and those in need of protection,” Gaby Szöllösy, secretary general of the cantonal conference of social directors, told Swiss public television SRF.External link
On Thursday, cantonal authorities responsible for social benefits agreed to tighten rules so that income and assets are considered regardless of whether they are obtained in Ukraine or in Switzerland.
This means that if people with status S withdraw funds from bank accounts or obtain other assets in Ukraine, these are to be considered in the assessment of income. The only exception is a car as this is needed to return home, says Szöllösy. New recommendations on how to deal with vehicles and other assets such as jewelry are expected to be available in late autumn.
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?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
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
Almost 10% of eligible Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland have a job
This content was published on
A total of 9.4% of adults in possession of a special “S” permit are in work, with most employed in the restaurant sector.
This content was published on
Ukrainians fleeing the war will be granted an S permit upon arrival in Switzerland. It's the first time this permit will be issued.
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.