Swiss justice minister sees positive signs in EU migration deal
Simonetta Sommaruga welcomed the fact that the discussions among 28 European Union countries on migration ended with acknowledgement to stick to international law, in particular the Geneva Convention on Refugees.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-ATS/ac
“The strengthening of the EU’s external borders must not lead to a closure of borders to refugees,” said Sommaruga on Friday.
She said that welcoming those that faced persecution was one of Europe’s fundamental values and Switzerland is committed to not go back on this. The member of the seven-member government also pointed out that the main host countries for refugees were not European, but those neighbouring crisis regions such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey or Ethiopia. However, the justice minister advocated for a fair and fast asylum procedure that ensures a more rapid integration of those who need protection and a significant return of those who do not need it.
According to Sommaruga, Europe is not facing a migration crisis, but a political crisis. So much so that the decision taken on Thursday night in Brussels to finally incorporate into the Dublin Agreement the creation of asylum processing centres outside the EU, in North Africa, is far from clear at the moment. Switzerland will remain attentive to this development, because it will have to take on board any changes to the Dublin Agreement. Sommaruga added that because Switzerland lies in the middle of the continent, any EU decision on migration concerns it directly or indirectly.
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
Meet the foreigners who make up a quarter of the Swiss population
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Switzerland edges closer to stricter screening of foreign investments
This content was published on
Foreign investors are set to face greater scrutiny in Switzerland as one parliamentary chamber passes the so-called Lex China bill.
Increase in animal testing in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
Almost 600,000 animals were used in animal experiments in Switzerland in 2023 - an increase of 1.6% compared to the previous year.
Beleaguered Swiss watch industry calls for political support
This content was published on
The Swiss watch industry is going through difficult times as global demand declines and the strong franc piles on the pressure.
This content was published on
Hollywood star Pamela Anderson will be honoured at the Zurich Film Festival for her career and role in the film The Last Showgirl.
Switzerland to host Ukraine mine action conference in October
This content was published on
Together with Ukraine, Switzerland is organising the Ukraine Mine Action Conference (UMAC2024) in Lausanne on October 17 and 18.
Switzerland could send back 3,200 rejected Eritrean asylum seekers
This content was published on
In August 2017, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that Eritrean nationals who had performed their compulsory military service in their country should not expect to be re-conscripted into the army or face criminal punishment when they return home. The court therefore considered that a return to Eritrea “cannot generally be considered as unenforceable”. Because the…
This content was published on
Switzerland is to start using a new algorithm to distribute asylum seekers among cantons in such a way that they can find work more easily.
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.