UNHCR asks Switzerland to take in more Afghan refugees
An Afghan girl, one of 41 refugees, boards an airplane in Greece bound for Portugal on Tuesday.
Keystone / Yannis Kolesidis
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sent a letter to Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis asking Switzerland to accept more people fleeing Afghanistan.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
ACNUR pide a Berna acoger a más refugiados afganos
In the letter, sent on Wednesday, Filippo Grandi asked the government to accept additional Afghan refugees, within the framework of resettlement, who have fled or would flee under their own steam to neighbouring countries Pakistan and Iran or even Turkey, UNHCR Switzerland said on Thursday.
Switzerland was not the only country Grandi had written to, it said. Similar requests had also been sent to EU countries.
The aim is to improve burden-sharing, according to UNHCR Switzerland. The need for help is much greater than the capacity in the countries of first reception, it said.
The foreign ministry confirmed to the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA that it had received a letter signed by Grandi “concerning Afghanistan”. However, it did not want to comment on the content.
More
More
Switzerland divided on taking Afghan refugees
This content was published on
After the Taliban takeover, Switzerland has no plans to take in more Afghan refugees despite growing calls to do so.
“We have to be realistic,” Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said on August 18. “Providing help on the ground and ensuring the evacuation of Swiss nationals and local employees of the Swiss development agency take priority for the government.”
She said the government would examine additional asylum requests on a case-by-case basis, and she didn’t rule out the approval of a larger refugee contingent at a later stage.
The 230 Afghan refugees – local employees of the Swiss development agency and their families – are part of a total annual contingent of 800 vulnerable people from conflicts around the world to be granted asylum in Switzerland this year.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter makes official visit to Austria
This content was published on
Karin Keller-Sutter, who took over the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has made her first official visit abroad as president to Austria.
This content was published on
The boss of Swiss Post, Roberto Cirillo, is stepping down at the end of March after six years in the job, the company announced on Friday.
This content was published on
The name and logo of the former Credit Suisse headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich's financial centre were officially replaced by those of UBS on Friday.
Outgoing Swiss federal police chief warns of insufficient resources
This content was published on
The outgoing director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, has warned that officers, prosecutors and investigators in Switzerland have insufficient resources to do their work.
Swiss university inaugurates Europe’s most powerful centrifuge
This content was published on
The federal technology institute ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards.
Swiss film industry reports successful year in 2024
This content was published on
Swiss films did well in cinemas in 2024, recording over 907,000 admissions, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports. They accounted for almost 9% of all films shown last year in Switzerland.
Glencore and Rio Tinto held talks on mining’s biggest-ever potential merger, say reports
This content was published on
The Swiss-based mining and commodities group Glencore and the British company Rio Tinto reportedly held early-stage talks last year about combining their businesses.
First municipalities begin Swiss-wide plastic packaging recycling scheme
This content was published on
A new collection system to recycle plastic packaging and drinks cartons has begun in a handful of Swiss municipalities - others should follow in the coming weeks.
This content was published on
Despite an ongoing restructuring programme, Swiss retail giant Migros continued to grow last year by 1.6%, posting record sales of CHF32.5 billion ($35.7 billion).
Swiss researchers warn ‘mega-droughts’ are spreading around the world
This content was published on
"Mega-droughts" are increasing worldwide - becoming more frequent, hotter and more widespread over the past 40 years, a study published on Thursday shows.
Pressure grows on Switzerland to accept Afghan refugees
This content was published on
Several Swiss cities have added their voice to growing demands for Switzerland to open its doors to refugees from Afghanistan.
Swiss hesitate to offer shelter to large numbers of Afghan refugees
This content was published on
The government has agreed to take in about 230 people from war-torn Afghanistan but has no plans for now to accept larger groups of refugees.
This content was published on
Switzerland has suspended repatriations to Afghanistan “until further notice owing to the changed situation in the country”.
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.