Switzerland issues first fast-track visas for earthquake victims

The death toll from the earthquakes in southern Turkey and northern Syria that struck on February 6 surpassed 50,000 on Friday after Turkey declared more than 44,000 people died. Keystone / Erdem Sahin

The Swiss government has issued the first visas for people affected by the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria who have close relatives in Switzerland

Two people living in Turkey have received the first visas under a fast-track process, State Secretary for Migration Christine Schraner Burgener told Swiss public radio, SRF, on Saturday. An additional 40 visas are expected to be issued in the coming days.

So far, 52 visa applications have been submitted to Switzerland and the federal authorities have received around 2,000 requests for information. Switzerland had agreed to issue visas for up to 90 days, under certain conditions.

They need to have a passport and close family already in the Alpine country – this includes spouses, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren but not siblings. Relatives in Switzerland must be Swiss nationals with a B permit (residence permit) or C permit (settlement permit).

+ Read about demand for Swiss visas from people affected by the earthquake in Turkey.

People now know what documents they need to get a visa, Schraner Burgener said. It is not known how many visas will eventually be issued.

The Swiss official could not say whether the granting of visas under the accelerated process would be extended to siblings, as some politicians are demanding. The authorities must learn from the first experiences and see how many applications are submitted and the relationships of those applying, she explained.

+ Switzerland ramps up aid to Turkey and Syria.

“If we had extended the possibility to siblings, the queue would have been even longer,” said the Swiss migration official, adding that the aim was to act quickly.

The reconstruction process in Turkey and Syria should be sufficiently advanced after three months to allow the applicants to return home. But each case will be examined individually, the state secretary added.

The death toll from the earthquakes in southern Turkey and northern Syria that struck on February 6 surpassed 50,000 on Friday after Turkey declared more than 44,000 people died.