Swiss court imposes restriction on Ukrainian refugees

Swiss rejection of Ukrainian asylum seeker was ruled lawful Keystone / Anthony Anex

Ukrainian refugees are not allowed to stay in Switzerland if they were previously admitted to a European Union of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) state, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled in a landmark verdict in the case of a Ukrainian woman.

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The woman returned to Ukraine from a temporary stay in Italy and later travelled to Switzerland.

+ Switzerland breaks ranks with EU on Ukrainian refugee policy

The court ruling sets a precedent for future cases after judges from three divisions jointly decided the verdict.

The woman traveled to Italy after the outbreak of Russia’s invasion. She stayed in Italy with two sisters until December 2022 and attended school there.

When one of her sisters returned to Ukraine, she joined her. Italy had granted the Ukrainian woman temporary protection until the beginning of March 2023.

Due to the ongoing war, the woman left again at the end of February 2025 and came to Switzerland, where her mother and another sister lived.

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) rejected her application for temporary protection and ordered her deportation. The Federal Administrative Court has now ruled SEM’s decision as lawful.

Adapted from German by AI/mga

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