A total of 39,258 refugees from Ukraine have been registered in Switzerland since Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
Русский
ru
В Швейцарии среди украинских беженцев превалируют женщины и дети
That is 919 more than on Thursday. Of the total so far, 32,208 have been granted S protection status, SEM announced on Twitter on Friday. This special status allows them to stay in Switzerland for a year and to work in the Alpine country.
Latest SEM figures confirm that it is largely “a flight of women and children”. More than two-thirds of those granted S protection status by the end of March were women and girls, while nearly 40% of those seeking protection were also younger than 20.
Ukraine introduced martial law in the wake of the Russian invasion, which requires men aged 18-60 to stay and defend their country.
Distribution among cantons
SEM’s David Keller told the press on Thursday that the Swiss authorities would revert to a regular distribution of refugees among the 26 cantons so as to reduce the burden on some cities. Zurich, Bern and Basel, for example, have been struggling to cope with high numbers, as has canton Ticino.
Asylum seekers, as well as people with S status, cannot normally choose their canton of residence, said Keller. However, since the start of the war, many have found refuge with relatives or acquaintances. And until now, SEM has allocated to the relevant canton all those refugees who could show when they registered that they had an offer of private accommodation there.
More
More
Swiss adapt housing policy for Ukraine refugees
This content was published on
The Swiss authorities are to return to a regular distribution of refugees from Ukraine to reduce the burden notably for some cities.
Just over 5.1 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian invasion, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday. The number continues to rise, but at a slower daily rate than at the beginning of the war. By far the highest number are in neighbouring Poland.
The International Office for Migration, another UN agency, said there are also 7.7 million people who have fled their homes but are still in Ukraine.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
This content was published on
We look at why and how host families in Switzerland are being “matched” with refugees, and in some cases finding each other.
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.