Switzerland Tightens Asylum Rules for Ukrainian Refugees

For more than two years, the protection status S system has allowed refugees from Ukraine to be taken in by Switzerland in an expedited procedure. However, following Norway's example the Swiss parliament voted this week to restrict access to the protection status, stipulating that in future it will only be granted to Ukrainian refugees from occupied or disputed territories. The national press is divided.

Wailing sirens not sufficient grounds for asylum

War reporter Kurt Pelda defends the decision in the Aargauer Zeitung:

Of course, Russian missiles, drones and cruise missiles occasionally hit western Ukraine, close to the borders with the Nato states Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Nevertheless, anyone travelling across Ukraine will notice the difference between the areas close to the front in the east and south and the regions in the west, which have largely been spared the direct effects of the war. ... Just because you often hear sirens in Ukraine doesn't mean that the entire territory is a war zone. ... The wailing of sirens alone is no reason to grant people access to one of the most generous asylum and protection systems in the world.”

Selfish and narrow-minded

Others will pay the price for the lack of solidarity, criticises the Neue Zürcher Zeitung:

Moldova, the Czech Republic, Poland and Estonia all host more than 20 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants. In Switzerland that figure is 8 - even fewer than in Germany, Liechtenstein or Austria. ... The burden of this narrow-mindedness will once again be borne by others. Namely those countries that take in the Ukrainians who are no longer admitted to Switzerland. ... This change of course is premature and will be difficult to implement. ... But it damages Switzerland's international reputation and sends a signal to the rest of the world: Switzerland wants to selfishly withdraw from the situation surrounding Ukraine.

Reprinted from the Eurotopics site.  
See the original here.