The country has been accepting groups of recognised refugees as part of a Resettlement ProgrammeExternal link run by United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) since 2013. In all, 3,500 people have come to Switzerland so far.
In a statement, the Federal Council (government) saidExternal link that the number of asylum requests had fallen in Switzerland and Europe, but that the difficult situation in the countries of origin of migrants and refugees remained. For particularly vulnerable people, who cannot stay in their own countries or in their host countries, being moved elsewhere is the only option.
The current quota will be filled by spring, which is why the government has decided to allow a further 800 refugees in, Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said on Friday.
Accepting refugees helps prevent illegal migration and human trafficking. Women, children and older people are not obliged to attempt dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings, she added.
The government said that it wanted to continue taking in vulnerable refugees after 2019 as well. It has worked out a concept for accepting between 1,500 and 2,000 refugees every two years, with the option of reducing the numbers or stopping the programme if need be. But it will first consult with parliamentary commissions about the concept.
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Syrian refugees ‘resettle in’ to Switzerland
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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
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Swiss justice minister sees door opening for refugee resettlement
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European Union interior ministers met on Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria to re-visit the thorny issue of resettling thousands of refugees from conflict-torn parts of Africa and the Middle East. Since Non-EU member Switzerland was invited to participate because it is part of the so-called Dublin agreement governing asylum policy across Europe. + Here’s how another…
Switzerland to take refugees from Libyan detention centres
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Switzerland to take up to 80 refugees as part of an emergency UNHCR plan to evacuate some 5,000 people from detention centres in Libya.
First group of vulnerable refugees from Libya to arrive in April
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A first group of 42 refugees is expected to arrive in Switzerland in early April as part of an emergency UNHCR operation to evacuate migrants from Libya.
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