Switzerland continues to offer protection to Afghan girls

Conditions have deteriorated for Afghan women under the Taliban Keystone

Afghan women and girls will continue to receive asylum in Switzerland – a measure introduced in summer 2023.

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On Monday, the House of representatives rejected a motion seeking to reverse the asylum practice.

The parliamentary chamber reached its decision with a razor-thin majority – 92 votes to 91 with ten abstentions.

The proposal by People’s Party parliamentarian Gregor Rutz was dismissed. However, another motion concern the same matter is still pending in the Senate.

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) decided to introduce the measure in July 2023 following a recommendation from the European Asylum Agency.

The move was justified by recognising that the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan had deteriorated since the Taliban came to power and women’s basic rights were severely restricted.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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