‘Restrict asylum to Europeans’ says Swiss rightwing party chief

Asylum policy is a hot and contentious topic in Switzerland Keystone / Christian Beutler

The rightwing Swiss People’s Party has suggested that Switzerland should only open its doors to asylum seekers from European countries.

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The comment from party president Marcel Dettling, in an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, was met with a mixed reception from other political parties.

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“We need to redefine the right to asylum,” said Dettling. “As a small country, we can’t take in the whole world.” Therefore, Switzerland should revert to its historic policy of “neighbourly help in Europe when people are in need”, as demonstrated during World War II.

In common with many countries, asylum is a contentious hot topic in Switzerland, where asylum applications rose 23% in 2023 and are expected to stay at the same level this year.

“Simply inhumane”

Parliament decided in the summer to send rejected Eritrean asylum seekers to Rwanda and is currently debating whether to prevent the families of temporarily admitted asylum seekers coming to Switzerland.

Reacting to Dettling’s comments, Andrea Caroni, a Senator with the centre-right Radical Party, said it makes most sense for asylum seekers to find protection in neighbouring countries rather than travel to different continents.

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“The Swiss constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights determine the boundaries [of Swiss asylum policy],” he added. “We must abide by them in our legislation.”

The leftwing Social Democrats, however, were scathing of the Swiss People’s Party recommendation to reject asylum to people living outside of Europe.

“That is simply inhumane. Their goal is to abolish the right of asylum for everyone,” said Social Democrat vice-president Mattea Meyer.