In Switzerland, pressure is growing on Ukrainian refugee men to return home to participate in the war
Representatives of at least two Swiss parliamentary parties have publicly called on Ukrainian refugee men in the country to return to Ukraine and take part in the war.
According to estimates by the Swiss Federal Department of Justice (FDJP), there are currently about 11,000 men from Ukraine living in the country who are subject to mobilization.
About this informs The New Zurich Times.
These calls come against the backdrop of Ukraine’s temporary suspension until May 18 of providing consular services for conscript men, as well as difficulties with updating data in territorial recruitment and social support centers (TCSSP) for obtaining these services.
One of the leaders of the Free Democratic Party, national councilor Christian Wasserphalen, made it clear that those subject to mobilization in Ukraine are not entitled to the S protection status in Switzerland, which is reserved for women, children and the elderly in need of protection.
“We should not harbor deserters who have fled a country that now needs their defense.”, – he declared.
Wasserphalen also called on Switzerland to help Ukraine solve the problem of staff shortages and “reduce the burden on overburdened Swiss migration structures.”
Pascal Schmid, the representative of the Swiss People’s Party, head of asylum issues, agrees with this statement. He added that he plans to investigate the situation.
However, the head of the Ukrainian Society in Switzerland, Andriy Luzhnytskyi, sharply condemned such statements, calling them “cynical” and “moral and political bankruptcy.”
“This is a cynical attempt to solve the Ukrainian problem by a country that did not even allow the transfer of Swiss weapons to third countries to help Ukraine. If these men are forced to return, I hope they will be given weapons“, – said Luzhnytskyi.
