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The Minister of Justice does not rule out that solidarity could decrease over time. Alternatives are in demand.
The Department of Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, to which the State Secretariat for Migration SEM belongs, has been particularly challenged since Russia invaded Ukraine.
“It’s a Herculean task. Since the Second World War there has never been such a movement of refugees, and above all not at such a speed,” Keller-Sutter said on Friday at an informal “workshop talk” in St. Gallen.
1000 applications daily – until further notice
The Asys crisis team in the SEM delivered impressive figures on the effects on Switzerland the day before: around a thousand people knocked on the door every day and there was no change in sight. Another 15,000 to 30,000 people a month can be expected.
With this huge number of refugees, the Confederation, cantons and communes are increasingly reaching their limits when it comes to accommodation. At the moment there is a reserve of just 2,500 beds at the federal level. The solidarity of the Swiss population is still great.
unpredictable situation
But shouldn’t one fear that the mood will change if the refugee movement continues at this rate? “This fear is justified and I have it too. That’s why you have to be careful,” says Keller-Sutter.
Legend:
On April 8, 2022, Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter invited to an informal “workshop talk” about the Ukraine refugees in Switzerland.
key stone
It is therefore very important to the Minister of Justice that all arrivals are checked and registered, which takes a certain amount of time: “We have to know who is in the Schengen area. You have to be able to account for this to the public. At the European level, there should be a common database on refugees from Ukraine. This is very important.”
We need to know who is in the Schengen area. You have to be able to account for this to the public.
Private accommodation – hardly a permanent solution
Keller-Sutter is also preparing for all possible scenarios. To this end, she commissioned the former Zurich police commander, Thomas Würgler, to develop options for action. She also assumes, among other things, that the model of accommodating refugees with private companies will hardly be sustainable in the long term.
Of course, there is always a certain level of political criticism of private accommodation, said the Federal Councilor, adding: “I don’t think you can rely on it in the long term. We are very grateful that this is now possible, but you need alternatives here too.”
We are very grateful that this is now possible, but alternatives are also needed here.
What happens after three months?
The former police commander Würgler should also show what it would mean if, in a few weeks, many private individuals were no longer willing to let Ukrainians live with them.
As is well known, refugee aid is responsible for private accommodation and agrees three months with the host families, explained Keller-Sutter. There are host families who would have accommodated refugees for longer in other situations. Whether that works everywhere is an open question: “You have to think in terms of alternatives and think about what will happen when these three months are over.”