The protection status S for refugees from Ukraine came into force in spring 2022.
Keystone / Michael Buholzer
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Switzerland has accelerated the processing of requests for protection from Ukrainian refugees. However, it is now rejecting more applications than ever before.
This content was published on
15. August 2024 – 08:23
Last November, refugees from Ukraine were able to breathe a sigh of relief in Switzerland, when the government extended the special protection until March 2025External linkwhich has existed since March 2022.
The “Protection Status S” allows them to live, work and receive social assistance in Switzerland. This special status also means that they do not have to go through the normal asylum procedure, but are recognized as refugees in a fast-track procedure.
This applies provided that they were already living in Ukraine before the start of the war on February 24, 2022 and entered Switzerland.
On July 31, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) tweeted that 66,182 Ukrainians currently hold a valid Status S. However, the post also revealed that 26,392 Status S permits have been revoked since they were first issued in March 2022.
The government has the right to revoke the S permit if holders move their residence to a third country and obtain legal residency there.
In addition, the permit can be revoked if a person stays in Ukraine for more than 15 days per quarter. Exempt from this rule are those who can prove that they are preparing for a permanent return to Ukraine.
From the Statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesExternal link (UNHCR) shows that on 4 July, only 63.1% of all Ukrainians who applied for asylum or temporary protection in Switzerland were registered in Switzerland.
Increase in rejection rate
In addition to withdrawing the S permit, the migration authorities can also reject applications for protection from Ukrainians. Since the war began in February 2022, the SEM has so far refused S protection status to around 2,500 people from Ukraine. The rejection rate is increasing.
SEM spokesman Daniel Bach told the Swiss-French television station RTS that many Ukrainians no longer come to Switzerland directly from Ukraine, but from other European countries.
This is one of the main reasons why they do not meet the criteria for an S permit. Why do Ukrainians from safe European countries try their luck in Switzerland?
“It is possible that people who have already received protection in another country apply for asylum in Switzerland for various reasons. For example, because family members live here,” Lionel Walter, media spokesperson for the Swiss Refugee Council (SFH), writes by email.
“The SEM then clarifies this and, depending on the case, refers to this existing protection. This is not unusual and also occurs in procedures in other countries of origin. From our point of view, it is important that people have access to protection in a country that respects their fundamental rights,” Walter continued.
According to the SFH, Switzerland is not a more popular destination country than the rest of Europe because the protection status is similar. However, their research also shows that the choice of destination country is not only determined by the legal framework, but also by cultural proximity, language, communities and the presence of relatives.
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How two years of war in Ukraine have shaped Swiss politics
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“The reason is simple and brutal: the war in Ukraine continues and the situation is not better than it was a year ago, but probably worse,” Sasha Volkov, board member and spokesman for the Ukrainian Association of Switzerland, told SWI swissinfo.ch.
Volkov was recently in Ukraine and lived with his family near Kiev for two weeks. The electricity supply is irregular, with power outages in the capital region lasting six hours and then electricity for three hours, he reports.
“People considering returning to Ukraine are finding that they need generators if they want to return to their homes, and that running them is more expensive than electricity in Switzerland,” he says.
“They have no money to return to Ukraine and are hesitant to stay where they are because solidarity with the Ukrainian people is no longer as great as it was at the beginning of the war.”
Integration and return plans
The Swiss government has recognized that Ukrainians will not return to their homeland in the foreseeable future.
In November last year, it set itself the ambitious goal of integrating 40% of the people living here into the world of work by the end of 2024. The current figure is 25%.
For this purpose, 3,000 francs per person have been made available, which will be used primarily for language courses.
A proposal by Parliament to introduce online registration instead of work permits, if adopted, is also expected to reduce the bureaucratic burden for companies wanting to hire Ukrainians.
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However, a shadow of uncertainty continues to hang over Ukrainian refugees, as the S status, which is provisionally valid until March 2025, was never intended for a long-term stay in Switzerland.
Last September, the Swiss government announced its preliminary strategy to facilitate the return of Ukrainian refugees following the abolition of S status.
It is estimated that 80% of the refugees would leave voluntarily because their male family members are in Ukraine.
The report recommends giving refugees six to nine months to plan their departure.
To this end, he proposes a financial incentive of 1,000 to 4,000 francs per person, with those who leave earlier receiving more money.
A return becomes less likely for some
However, the longer the stay in Switzerland, the less likely it is that a person will be willing to leave Switzerland voluntarily.
In addition, after five years of continuous residence, they could receive a Swiss B permit, which is valid for five years.
A report published in December Survey by UNHCR, SEM and market research institute IpsosExternal link suggests that a voluntary return of Ukrainian refugees will not be easy.
A third of the Ukrainian refugees surveyed do not want to return to their homeland, 40% said they were undecided.
“Some are giving up on Ukraine. This is inevitable the longer the war lasts,” says Volkov of the Ukrainian Association of Switzerland.
Edited by Mark Livingston, Translation from English: Christian Raaflaub
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