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Justice Minister Beat Jans wants a fast-track procedure for asylum seekers from Maghreb countries. His statements are not met with universal approval, as he found out at the national asylum symposium in Bern.
The organizers of the national asylum symposium around the Swiss Refugee Aid (SFH) and the UNHCR have defined a guiding theme: participation. Above all, the participation of those affected, the refugees. Maryam Sedici, co-founder of the Association of Afghan Women in Switzerland, says: “The principle ‘Nothing about us without us’ must be our guiding principle. I stand here before you as an example of what is possible when we work together and build bridges instead of erecting barriers.”
Legend:
At the national asylum symposium, experts from administration and non-governmental organizations discussed the current challenges in the asylum system together with refugees.
Keystone/Peter Schneider (05/02/2024)
The refugee organizations were also hoping for stable bridges into politics. Many people at the symposium expected an ally with the new SP Federal Councilor Beat Jans at the head of the responsible department. Now some see access to fair asylum procedures at risk. “I know that some of you doubt whether I really share this goal given the recent announcements and measures in the asylum sector,” answers Jans.
The extension of the 24-hour express procedure for asylum seekers from the Maghreb, the possible closure of asylum centers over the weekend – all of this has caused astonishment. The Federal Council just decided on Wednesday: In the future, it should be possible to evaluate refugees’ cell phones in order to check their identity and escape history.
Beat Jans says: “Politics is the art of what is possible. And the political course in Switzerland is set by parliament and the population. Ultimately, my boss is the population.”
If the asylum system is to remain credible, it needs a clear stance against abuses, according to Jans’ argument. Jans’ state secretary, who is responsible for the dossier, Christine Schraner-Burgener, also says this. And in certain cases this also includes measures such as the 24-hour procedure.
Legend:
It was the first asylum symposium for SP Federal Councilor Beat Jans – and not easy terrain after he recently announced new 24-hour procedures for asylum seekers from Maghreb states.
Keystone/Peter Schneider (05/02/2024)
The mission of Beat Jans and the responsible State Secretariat – to create understanding – is only partially successful. The director of refugee aid, Miriam Behrens, says: “I can understand that he is under pressure. But the refugee community is of course not happy about this approach.”
And the UN High Commission is also watching closely, says Anja Klug, head of the UNHCR office for Switzerland. We’ll see whether, with the new procedures, everyone who needs it really still has a chance of protection in Switzerland. Everything is still fine.
Too little involvement of refugee organizations
Jans was also criticized at the symposium for not involving and listening to refugee organizations enough before making his most recent decisions. Maryam Sedici from the Association of Afghan Women in Switzerland calls for “the voices and the perspectives to be heard, that we find a solution together, even if we don’t find a perfect solution. But they still made an effort.”
The refugee organizations would be involved and picked up. With their interjections, these also remind Federal Councilor Jans of adhering to his own motto. “Things are getting better,” Federal Councilor Jans proclaimed as his motto after 100 days in office. However, he can hardly do justice to the bourgeois majority in the Federal Parliament, his party, the SP, and the refugee organizations “zäme”.