The Senate on Monday refused to follow the House of Representatives which had approved the move by the Swiss People’s Party last September.
Opponents, including Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, said a strict reciprocity – notably between aid deliveries and readmission of rejected asylum seekers to their home countries – was counterproductive and ineffective.
However, the government pledged to tie aid to asylum cooperation in principle and boost collaboration between the Swiss development agency and the migration authorities.
The vote in the Senate had to be delayed several times as a first ballot count last week turned out to be incorrect and because of the absence of a senator and a cabinet minister.
The motion was handed in nearly two years ago but won increasing popularity among centre-right parties amid public concern over growing numbers of asylum seekers from northern Africa.
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Army told to make room for 4,000 asylum seekers
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Three cantonal army quarters each need to make 200 places available “as quickly as possible”, said the Federal Justice Office spokesman Guido Balmer. It will be up to the defence ministry to choose the sites. By the end of 2013 the ministry will have to make provisions for 2,000 places that should be available for at…
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“Take back citizens who have been refused asylum or we will cut off your development aid!” That’s the gist of the message Bern could be sending to those countries whose subjects are among the main asylum seekers to Switzerland. The plans are targeted in particular towards African and Arab Spring countries. Even though such a…
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This week some 400 concerned residents from Pully, an affluent small town on the edge of Lausanne, attended a heated information session regarding the imminent opening of an underground civil protection shelter to hold 50 asylum seekers. Despite agreement in principle between the federal and cantonal authorities, plans to create additional capacities for 2,000 asylum…
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