Record increase in refusals to grant S status to Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland
The Ukrainian crisis continues to affect thousands of people seeking asylum in Europe. One of the countries accepting refugees is Switzerland. However, in recent times, the number of refusals to grant S status to Ukrainian refugees has increased to a record in this country.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more and more Ukrainians refuse to return home. Switzerland, one of the countries that accepts refugees, has significantly accelerated the process of consideration of asylum applications for Ukrainian refugees. By the end of July 2024, 66,182 Ukrainians had received S protection status. At the same time, since March 2022, 26,392 permits for this status have been canceled, as informs SWI.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of July 4, only 63.1% of Ukrainians who applied for asylum or temporary protection in Switzerland remain registered in the country. Daniel Bach, a representative of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), noted that many Ukrainians arrive in Switzerland from other European countries, which makes it difficult to obtain S status.
The Swiss Refugee Council emphasizes that Switzerland is not the most attractive destination for Ukrainians compared to other European countries. Switzerland recognizes that Ukrainians will not return home anytime soon and has set a goal of integrating 40% of them into the workforce by the end of 2024. To this end, 3,000 Swiss francs are allocated per person to pay for language courses, and a proposal for online registration to simplify bureaucracy is being considered.
The S status was not designed for a long stay. After it is lifted, 80% of refugees are expected to return voluntarily, but over time fewer and fewer people want to leave. After five years of continuous residence, they can obtain a Swiss residence permit category B.
A study conducted by UNHCR and SEM showed that a third of Ukrainian refugees do not want to return, and 40% are still undecided. The longer the war lasts, the less people are willing to return.
We will remind you that earlier the Swiss Parliament reduced the number of regions from which Ukrainian refugees can receive temporary protection, strengthening the conditions for granting this status. It was also reported that it has become more difficult to obtain protection status in Switzerland due to an increase in the number of refusals and the use of forged Ukrainian passports by some refugees.
