Rally and petition against Swiss cooperation with Eritrea
Published: Thursday, Nov 9th 2023, 15:31
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Almost one hundred people demonstrated in Bern against Swiss cooperation with Eritrea. In a petition, they called on the federal government and the cantons to abolish the passport procurement requirement for Eritreans in Switzerland.
"Go to the dictatorship embassy I fled from?" read one of the demonstrators' posters in Bern. Despite the rain, several dozen people gathered on the Bundesplatz. The rally was called by the Eritrean Media Association Switzerland together with the activist network Migrant Solidarity Network.
During the rally, a delegation also handed over a petition to the cantonal migration services at the House of Cantons to abolish the obligation for Eritreans to obtain a passport. According to the organizations, more than 4,500 people have signed the petition.
The petition is intended to ensure that the cantons make use of their room for maneuver, according to the statement. This is because the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has so far refused to adapt its practice.
Unreasonable conditions
Without the presentation of a valid Eritrean passport, applications would not be processed in Switzerland today, according to the organizations. In order to obtain a passport, however, the Eritrean embassy in Geneva imposes unacceptable and unreasonable conditions.
According to the organizations, Eritreans must sign a so-called "declaration of repentance" in which they accuse themselves of not having fulfilled their "national duties" and accept the penalties imposed for this. They would also have to pay a "diaspora tax" on income already taxed in Switzerland. They would also have to disclose information about family and acquaintances to the embassy.
"Each of these conditions endangers life and limb," the organizations said. The long arm of the Eritrean regime extends as far as Switzerland. Eritreans in Switzerland should receive a passport for foreign nationals from the authorities, as is customary for people from Afghanistan, the organizations demanded.
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