Switzerland called on to improve treatment of asylum seekers
The forced separation of asylum-seeker families and the possible ‘Swiss law instead of foreign judges’ vote came under scrutiny in Amnesty International’s annual report, released on Thursday.
This content was published on
3 minutes
SDA-ATS/dos, with input from Katy Romy
Português
pt
Suíça toma chamada para melhorar o tratamento de requerentes de asilo
The NGO report focused particularly on the rigid treatment of migrants and asylum seekers which the Alpine nation is sometimes known for.
“The [Swiss] authorities sent back several asylum seekers to other Schengen countries by applying the Dublin regulation (a European Union text that determines which state should process applications) without considering the family bonds of these people in Switzerland,” Amnesty wrote.
They described the case of an Afghan family who were separated and imprisoned in 2016 before being sent back to Norway, a case that the Federal Supreme Court last year ruled had been a violation of the family’s rights.
Denise Graf, coordinator of the asylum division of Amnesty Switzerland, told swissinfo.ch that this was not an isolated case, and that Swiss cantons have only “partly” taken on board the court’s demand that they must find alternative solutions to the separation of families.
“In another case we discovered, a female asylum seeker was imprisoned until deportation while her son was placed alone in a centre,” she said. “Switzerland needs to take family links more into consideration,” she said.
The Amnesty report also noted cases – flagged up by the European Court of Human Rights – in which rejected asylum seekers were sent back to countries including Sri Lanka, Sudan, or Turkey where they would be in danger of suffering severe human rights abuses.
International obligations
It also reiterated the concern voiced by the UN Human Rights Council in August 2017 about the possible future vote on the ‘Swiss law instead of foreign judges’ initiative, which would grant primacy to the federal constitution over international law.
The UN, Amnesty repeated, demanded that Switzerland put in place a control mechanism which ensures that people’s initiatives conform to international law before they are put to the vote.
Amnesty launched the report in Washington DC, in a symbolic move to highlight the concern about the backsliding on human rights of the Trump Administration.
After a year in which discrimination against marginalised groups across the world had become ever more normalised and governments were turning a blind eye, the US stance on such issues represented a dangerous precedent, it said.
“The decision taken in January by the US to ban from its territory travellers from several Muslim-majority countries, an act of clear discrimination, set the tone for a year during which leaders led policies of hate with devastating consequences,” wrote Amnesty Secretary-General Salil Shetty in a press release.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
An attack on human rights or strengthening democracy?
This content was published on
Thanks to direct democracy, the Swiss voting public regularly has the chance to propose or vote on changes to the constitution. But what happens when changes contradict international agreements or laws? A prime example would be the 2014 vote to limit immigration – which directly contradicts the free movement of people agreement between Switzerland and…
Are the Swiss too strict about the Dublin accords?
This content was published on
Our data shows Switzerland’s strict application of the Dublin accords means migrants are sent to a country where they weren't officially registered.
This content was published on
The forced deportation of thousands of asylum seekers from Switzerland to Italy since the summer was flagged up in Amnesty’s report on the 2016 human rights situation globally. In particular it described facial discrimination against “people of colour or with North African features”, over-zealous Swiss border guards and the blocking of unaccompanied minors on the…
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.