Contents
While politicians from the SVP and FDP fear that the women’s families will follow suit, there are opposing voices from other parties.
The chance of receiving asylum in Switzerland has increased for women and girls from Afghanistan. The State Secretariat for Migration recently changed its practice. The reason is the Taliban’s legislation in Afghanistan, which discriminates against women.
There is no question that these women from Afghanistan have a reason to flee and need protection. But this is already possible under the old practice, or at least it should be
Nobody doubts that the situation for women in Afghanistan is untenable. Neither does Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher, the president of the Swiss FDP women. But you are upset that the State Secretariat for Migration, or SEM for short, has changed its practice.
“I don’t really understand the meaning of this change in practice. There is no question that these women from Afghanistan have a reason to flee and need protection. But that is already possible under the old practice, or at least it should be,” says Vincenz-Stauffacher.
SEM: No general amnesty for all Afghan women
So far, women from Afghanistan have received provisional admission, explains Reto Kormann from SEM. Almost 3,100 women from Afghanistan live with this status in Switzerland. The provisional admission is checked regularly.
Since the situation in Afghanistan has worsened, especially for women and girls, the practice has now been adjusted. The women can receive asylum, which means they can stay in Switzerland. Kormann also emphasizes: “We carry out a regular asylum procedure with every woman who lives in Switzerland as an Afghan and of course we examine each application individually as part of this application. So it’s not a general amnesty for all Afghan women who live in Switzerland.”
Worry about pull effect
The FDP fears that family reunification will make it easier for Afghan men to receive asylum in Switzerland. And that Switzerland is becoming too attractive for Afghan women. In technical language this is called the pull effect.
We’re actually just catching up on what many other (European countries) are already doing.
When changing asylum practice, it is not about checking a possible pull effect, but rather about the conditions in the applicant’s home country, says Kormann. Many European countries have already adjusted their practices regarding Afghan women. “We are following the example of many European countries that have already implemented this change in practice. We’re actually just catching up on what many others are already doing.”
But could more Afghan women who are in other European countries travel to Switzerland to benefit from the change in practice? Kormann doesn’t believe that either. Switzerland is checking whether the person has already applied for asylum in another safe country. If that is the case, Switzerland is asking this state to take the person back, including women.
And if it’s always been rumored that there are too many people coming and the wrong ones are coming, then I’m starting to ask myself, which ones are actually the right ones?
Not all bourgeois politicians criticize the change in practice for Afghan women. Marianne Binder, Aargauer Mitte National Councilor, doesn’t understand the noise about the change in practice. Based on the SVP’s election campaign slogan, she says: “And if it’s always been rumored that there are too many people coming and the wrong people are coming, then I’m starting to ask myself, which ones are actually the right ones?”
Nevertheless, the topic will probably continue to revolve for a moment: probably next week, when the Federal Council will discuss immigration and asylum in a special session.