Amnesty praises ‘rapid support’ for Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians who fled to Switzerland after Russia invaded their country last year received rapid support, says Amnesty International. But the rights group said the war in Ukraine highlighted flaws in the Swiss asylum system.
“The rapid support for people fleeing Ukraine was in stark contrast to flaws in the regulations applied to asylum seekers from other nationalities admitted under provisional admission status,” Amnesty wrote in its annual report publishedExternal link on Tuesday.
Nearly 80,000 refugees from Ukraine have fled to Switzerland and most of them were granted a special legal status.
Due to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, several projects aimed at improving the living conditions in federal asylum centres were postponed, it noted. Accommodation for refugees and asylum-seekers remains problematic.
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On migrant rights, Amnesty highlighted criticism by the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture of the use of partial restraint during forced returns, the failure to adequately consider children’s rights, and compulsory Covid-19 tests for people to be returned.
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In this year’s report the rights group also put the spotlight on “strong evidence of structural racism” against people of African descent. The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent found racism to be “systemic” in Switzerland. It recommended an explicit prohibition of racial profiling, and the creation of civilian, independent complaint mechanisms with oversight and disciplinary authority over the police in every canton.
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Elsewhere in the report, Amnesty highlighted its concerns over several proposals to reform the law on abortion. In May, a member of the Green party launched a parliamentary initiative to reframe abortion as a public health issue. Two separate initiatives started in December 2021 by members of the Swiss People’s Party seeking to restrict access to abortion are ongoing.
On the climate, the Swiss parliament “took a significant but insufficient step towards strengthening climate action”, it added.
In September, parliament adopted a proposal to enshrine in law a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and define new measures for different industries and sectors. It is due to enter into force in 2023 pending a referendum.
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