Switzerland is expecting numerous refugees from Ukraine. The Federal Office for Migration and the Cantonal Security Directorate in Zurich provide information on how they are housed and cared for.
It is uncertain how many refugees will come to Switzerland from countries neighboring Ukraine: Ukrainian girl on Sunday after crossing the border in Poland.
The EU expects five to seven million people to flee Ukraine. This was announced by Minister of Justice Karin Keller-Sutter at the weekend after talks with her counterparts. How many of them will come to Switzerland is currently not foreseeable. A distribution of the people from the neighboring countries of Ukraine to the European countries was not yet an issue.
The responsible authorities in the federal government and in the canton of Zurich are preparing for a wave of refugees. On Monday afternoon, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and its director, Christine Schraner Burgener, informed the federal asylum center in Zurich about how Switzerland takes in displaced persons.
According to Schraner, Switzerland expects a larger number of vulnerable people from Ukraine. Around 1,000 refugees are expected to arrive every week. “We are currently working day and night,” she emphasized at the media conference. The willingness to help of the Swiss population is also overwhelming.
Refugees who are already staying with relatives or acquaintances living in Switzerland can stay there. For people who have no such contacts, the SEM wants to work with the refugee aid to find the best possible accommodation options. Thanks to the protection status S, which was applied for the first time, the Ukrainian refugees do not have to apply for asylum.
Up to 5 asylum seekers per 1000 inhabitants
An hour after the State Secretariat for Migration, the Security Directorate of the Canton of Zurich and Government Councilor Mario Fehr (independent) gave an overview of the preparations for housing and taking in the war refugees.
One tries to be pragmatic and flexible, said Fehr in the introduction. Almost 1,500 Ukrainians live in the canton of Zurich. About 4,000 people also have Ukrainian roots.
According to Mario Fehr, there are currently 2 million displaced Ukrainians worldwide. Almost 1000 of them are registered with the SEM in Switzerland. In a first phase, Ukrainians with relatives in this country would flee to Switzerland, Mario Fehr assumes.
However, the canton does not have a complete overview of the entry of Ukrainians because they can enter without a visa.
Up to 5 asylum seekers should be able to be admitted per 1000 inhabitants. According to Fehr, this quota is far from exhausted. Currently there are still 2000 places available. There is also an emergency plan. As Fehr says, the canton can immediately make 750 more places available within 24 hours.
The Federal Council will put protection status S into force on Saturday. This is a very flexible solution. “We do not assume that everyone will make use of the protection status,” explains Fehr.
The Canton of Zurich welcomes the fact that refugees with protection status S can work immediately. According to Mario Fehr, many of these people would stay. Therefore integration is crucial. “The aim must be to be there for these people, to welcome them, to show them that we are there for them.”
Not only people with a Ukrainian passport are fleeing Ukraine, but also nationals of third countries. The Federal Council will decide what happens to them, says Mario Fehr. “It may be that they also receive protection status S.”
Those who do not fall under this rule are included in the normal asylum procedure. According to Urs Betschart, head of the Canton of Zurich’s migration office, two Iranian students who said they were enrolled at the University of Kyiv traveled to Switzerland. “In your case, the SEM has to decide how to proceed,” said Betschart.
Reception point next to the main train station
From Tuesday, 8 a.m., a reception center will be opened in the old military barracks. Police officers are waiting at Zurich main station to show the refugees the way to the barracks. There, Ukrainians can get everything they need: information, tailor-made solutions with communities, private accommodation, emergency aid, food, even simple accommodation offers. Offices are to be set up in the rear of the barracks. Residents willing to help should continue to contact the helpline.
Andrea Lübberstedt, head of the canton’s social welfare office, explains that the reception center also provides refugees with translation services, transport and legal advice. The canton doctor is also involved to help people who may have been traumatised. According to Lübberstedt, since traumatisation often becomes visible later on, this topic should be deepened with the communities.
Of course, the expected stream of refugees will also affect the cities and communities. For Winterthur, social director Nicolas Galladé (SP) informed about the precautions of the second largest city, for the other municipalities Jörg Kündig, President of the Association of Municipal Councils, is present.
Jörg Kündig explains that admitting the children to the schools is not a problem at all.
Structures and shelters for the refugees are in place. What is now expected, however, is an uncomplicated allocation of arrivals to the various locations. Initial reports in the media indicated that not everything is going as it should.
The war in Ukraine has also triggered an enormous willingness to help among the population. Answers are therefore also needed to the questions of what precautions should be taken by those who want to take refugees from Ukraine into their homes. According to the Campax organization, more than 12,000 households in Switzerland offered more than 30,000 beds by Saturday.