Kosovo minorities given leave to stay longer in Switzerland
Ethnic minorities from Kosovo who sought asylum in Switzerland during the 1999 conflict are to be allowed to remain in the country beyond the government's deadline of May 31.
The Federal Refugee Office said on Monday that around 2,500 asylum seekers would likely be given leave to stay in Switzerland until at least the end of autumn.
It said the move was prompted by fears that their safety would be threatened if they returned home. The decision affects mainly Serb and gypsy asylum seekers, along with a handful of others.
The Office originally said that all Kosovar minorities with asylum status would have to leave the country by May 31, or face forcible repatriation.
Asylum seekers who wish to remain beyond that date must now have their cases individually examined by the Refugee Office. Those with criminal records will be excluded, as will those who can return to a safe area.
The Office said it would re-examine the situation in Kosovo later this year, and may bring the deadline for repatriation forward if conditions improve in the Yugoslav province.
Most Kosovar asylum seekers who sought refuge in Switzerland have already returned home. The Swiss authorities granted temporary asylum to refugees fleeing the conflict in 1999.
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