Parliament insists on more repatriations
Published: Tuesday, Dec 19th 2023, 10:41
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Parliament is calling on the Federal Council to return and expel more rejected asylum seekers. The National Council has adopted a motion from the Council of States to this end. However, because it does not want to increase the sanctions for non-cooperative countries of origin, the Council of States must decide again.
On Tuesday, the National Council voted 130 to 62 in favor of the motion by Council of States member Werner Salzmann (SVP/BE). In the version amended by the National Council, the motion calls on the Federal Council to develop a concept to "significantly increase" the number of deportations and returns in the coming years.
To achieve this, the Federal Council should conclude further repatriation agreements and promote voluntary return. Against the wishes of the SVP, the National Council removed the additional increased sanctions for countries that do not cooperate with repatriations from the motion, as requested by the Council of States.
The Federal Council rejected the motion, pointing to its consistent return policy. Switzerland is one of the countries with the strongest enforcement policies in Europe and has concluded 65 agreements with other countries to strengthen return cooperation. The motion will be returned to the Council of States.
Salzmann, a member of the Council of States, justified the motion by stating that even a negative asylum decision does not mean that the person concerned has to leave the country. Temporarily admitted persons are usually allowed to remain in Switzerland despite a rejected asylum application.
©Keystone/SDA
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