Switzerland sees record number of Kosovar asylum seekers

The Swiss Refugee Office said asylum requests increased by a dramatic 80 percent compared to last year because of the crisis in Kosovo, but added that the once tense refugee situation eased considerably.

The Swiss Refugee Office said asylum requests increased by a dramatic 80 percent compared to last year because of the crisis in Kosovo, but added that the once tense refugee situation eased considerably.

Official figures released at the weekend showed that, by the end of August, 38,579 new asylum requests had been filed with the authorities. The number was expected to rise to 55,000 by the end of the year.

Well over half of those seeking asylum were Kosovar civilians — many of them families – fleeing the armed conflict in the Serb province.

Despite the record numbers, which were registered particularly in June and July, the situation had eased off, the refugee office said.

“No refugee was forced to sleep in the street,” officials said.

Switzerland is providing financial and material support for those deciding to return to Kosovo voluntarily.

Refugee officials said about 4,600 people had returned to Kosovo and Macedonia voluntarily by the end of August, and that the figure was expected to increase to 10,000 by the end of the year.

Germany and Switzerland took in the highest number of Kosovo refugees, and the Swiss government has pledged SFR1.5 billion ($1 billion) to finance emergency refugee centres and reconstruction aid in Kosovo itself.

The Swiss government told refugees in August that it had lifted the Kosovar war refugees’ collective permission to enter the country as of August 16, but would still give people until May 31, 2000 to leave.

From staff and wire reports.