Swiss minister in Brussels to discuss rules for displaced Ukrainians
Before a meeting of European Union ministers in Brussels on Thursday, Swiss Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter repeated her plan to activate a special permit for Ukrainians fleeing their country due to war.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/AFP/dos
Español
es
Ministra suiza debate en Bruselas sobre los ucranianos desplazados
The Swiss S permitExternal link, for “people in need of protection” would allow Ukrainians to stay in the country longer than the 90 days allowed under the Schengen agreement, and to apply for employment, albeit provisionally.
It is also similar to the EU’s Temporary Protection DirectiveExternal link being discussed today in Brussels, said Keller-Sutter. Neither the Swiss S permit nor the EU directive under consideration have ever before been activated.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmenin, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said on Thursday that he hoped for a concrete decision “in the coming days”.
A large majority of EU ministers already agreed last Sunday on the principle of temporarily welcoming Ukrainian refugees.
As of Thursday, over a million people have fled Ukraine due to the war, according to the latest figures by the UN.
More
More
Swiss to help refugees from Ukraine
This content was published on
Switzerland considers granting special temporary refugee status to people fleeing Ukraine.
Keller-Sutter, who defended the S permit against some left-wing criticisms that it is less generous than the EU equivalent, also said on Thursday that Switzerland would be willing to participate in a Europe-wide repartition programme for displaced Ukrainians, if and when this would be activated.
According to the AFP news agency, at this stage no such plan is yet on the table.
On Wednesday, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said just 150 Ukrainians had applied for asylum since the outbreak of war, but that the numbers were rising, and it was possible that some had already found accommodation in private Swiss households.
A citizen campaign involving people signing up to offer accommodation, organised by the Campax platform, had by Wednesday received notice from some 6,613 Swiss households ready to welcome displaced Ukrainians – that’s 15,904 beds.
SEM has also put together a taskforce made up of various ministries, social administrations and the army, to discuss the probable arrival of displaced people – it is also due to meet today.
External Content
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
November 24, 2024 votes: the results from across Switzerland
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
UBS study finds billionaires’ wealth more than doubled in 10 years
This content was published on
The number of super-rich people and their wealth has risen significantly in ten year according to a study by Swiss bank UBS.
International Geneva aims to cut CO2 emissions by a third
This content was published on
Nearly 40 players from international Geneva have pledged to reduce their CO2 emissions by an average of one-third by 2030.
This content was published on
Swiss consumers intend to spend an average of CHF282 on Christmas gifts this year. This is exactly the same as last year.
Argentina’s Milei to visit Switzerland in January 2025
This content was published on
Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei plans to visit Switzerland on January 24, 2025 to attend an event organised by the Liberal Institute in Zurich.
This content was published on
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, says it intends to open an office in Zurich. The move is part of its European expansion plan, after setting up offices in London, Paris, Brussels and Dublin.
This content was published on
The Swiss economy is growing slightly faster than expected, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
This content was published on
The House of Representatives on Wednesday cut the foreign aid budget by CHF250 million ($282 million) in favour of the army.
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.
Read more
More
Further Swiss donations and help pledged to Ukraine
This content was published on
After the announcement yesterday of an official package of CHF8 million, Swiss cantons, institutions and public have announced further support.
Ukraine war prompts outpouring of sympathy from Swiss civil society
This content was published on
Several thousand people in Switzerland have again protested against Russia’s attack on Ukraine, amid calls to take in refugees fleeing the conflict.
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.