Ukrainian refugees take canton to court over low benefits

A group of Ukrainian refugees has taken Lucerne to the cantonal court over benefit payments that are lower than in other cantons. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Refugees in canton Lucerne receive less benefit money than in other Swiss cantons, and a local politician is leading a court challenge on this issue, reports Swiss public broadcaster SRFExternal link.

“Social assistance for refugees and asylum-seekers in Lucerne is so low that a dignified life is not possible,” says Green member of the Lucerne cantonal parliament Urban Frye. “That contradicts federal law – and ultimately the European Convention on Human Rights.”

He is representing a group of 39 Ukrainian refugees who have taken the issue to the Lucerne cantonal court and he is also paying their legal fees.

Refugees from Ukraine receive CHF11.50 ($12.60) per day if they live in a cantonal shelter or CHF14.15 if they are in individual accommodation. These payments are much too low, argues Frye, not only for people from Ukraine but also refugees from other countries.

In canton Basel-Stadt, for example, refugees receive almost twice as much in support. He says such differences between cantons are incomprehensible, since living in Basel is not twice as expensive as in Lucerne. “The yogurt at Migros costs the same everywhere,” he told SRF.

In addition, canton Lucerne gets about CHF550 per month from the federal government as social assistance for each refugee, but only pays out an average of CHF350, according to him.

Guido Graf, Lucerne government minister overseeing the issue, rejects the accusation that Lucerne is keeping federal funds for itself instead of passing them on to refugees. He says it is not only the monthly payments that should be taken into account but also the other costs of caring for and supporting refugees.

Graf declined to comment on the court case but said the cantonal government was “in the process of reviewing the approaches to support”.