The volunteers from the Humanitarian Pilots Initiative claim its easier to spot small boats from the air than it is from the bridge of a ship, and that planes can cover a much wider area more quickly.
The main search zone is just off the Libyan coast. Ships here from the European Union force known as Operation SophiaExternal link patrol the seas in an effort to put a stop to migrant smuggling or human trafficking. But there are also civilian rescue ships.
Every migrant boat spotted by the Swiss pilots is immediately report to the sea emergency rescue authorities in Rome. After the people on the boats are secured, they are handed over to the Italian coastguard.
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Why Switzerland takes asylum seekers’ assets
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Swiss law states that asylum seekers have to disclose their assets. According to certain criteria – such as the amount and/or lack of proof of the origin of the assets – the authorities can demand that it be handed over. According to Léa Wertheimer from the State Secretariat for Migration, the law says that asylum…
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This weekend, thousands of migrants were stuck at the Hungarian/Austrian border, while more than 4,000 people fleeing their homelands were rescued in the Mediterranean on one single day. It coincided in Switzerland with a large-scale army exercise codenamed “Conex 15”. Soldiers are training with border police so they know what to do if large groups…
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.