A committee of the National Council adopted a resolution on Friday calling for Switzerland to sign an agreement with a third country to expel rejected Eritrean applicants, which has already been accepted by the Council of States.
The return of rejected Eritrean asylum seekers is currently blocked, the National Political Institutions Committee regrets. It therefore adopted four resolutions from the Council of States, mainly from the PLR, to change the situation.
Currently, rejected Eritrean asylum seekers cannot be subjected to forced return, with Eritrean authorities categorically refusing the forced repatriation of their citizens, parliamentary services recalled on Friday. About 300 people who have been rejected refugee status remain in Switzerland without the option of sending them back. This practice has continued for many years and affects all European countries.
For the Commission, this situation is unacceptable and brings into disrepute the Swiss asylum system, which receives no response, the conclusion of a migrant partnership or readmission agreement with this country has gone so far as to now prove impossible. . Therefore he believes that everything should be done so that the situation, if not completely resolved, can at least develop in the right direction.
>>Mariell Savoy’s explanation in the forum:
A Commission requests an agreement with a third country to expel rejected Eritrean applicants / Forum / 2 min. / Today at 7:00 pm
a transit agreement
Thus, the Committee accepted by 14 votes to 11 a motion by Petra Gossi (PLR/SZ), requesting that Switzerland conclude a transit agreement with a third country to return rejected Eritrean asylum seekers. Finish it. Simply put, the third country will welcome the rejected Eritreans and will be responsible for obtaining identity documents for them from the Eritrean representation so that they can return to their country of origin.
The Federal Chambers in December rejected a similar project that planned to send rejected Eritreans to a third country and have them remain there. However, National said ‘no’, doubting the validity of the project. PLR has returned the fee this time by proposing a transit agreement. And recall that Switzerland already has an agreement of this type with Senegal in 2003 and this mechanism does not create any legal problems. However, this agreement was never implemented, as Dakar eventually backed out.
A minority of the committee opposed the proposal, considering it ineffective and too expensive. Furthermore, for opponents, there is nothing to say that any country would want to sign such an agreement. And above all, they believe that Eritrea will refuse the return of its citizens, even if it is held from a third country. Switzerland would then have to take the risk of recovering them and this would be a return to the starting point. This position is supported by the Federal Council and the left.
>>Interview with Pascal Brolis (PLR/VD) in the forum:
Expulsion of Rejected Eritrean Applicants: Interview with Pascal Broulias / Forum / 2 min. / Today at 7:00 pm
Reform of foreigners’ law
By 17 votes to 7 and 1 abstention, the committee also endorsed, in amended form, a resolution by former State Counselor Thomas Minder (Ind./SH), aimed at concluding a migration agreement with Eritrea. A provision has been added so that the State Secretariat for Migration can send a representative responsible for migration issues to the region.
The Committee also approved by 12 votes to 10 a motion by Andrea Caroni (PLR/AR) aimed at reforming the law on foreigners. The text indirectly addresses the Eritrean diaspora, some members of which have made headlines in recent years with public and violent demonstrations in praise of the regime. The minority believes that legal instruments already exist to deal with such situations, so it is more a question of implementation than the need to make laws.
In the end, the proposal by former senator Philip Bauer (PLR/NE) was approved by the committee by 15 votes to 8. Generally, the text supports the practice of the Federal Council including trying to conclude new migration partnerships where a strategic need arises. A minority is opposed, believing the proposal “opens the door”.
The National Council will take a position on these proposals during the next parliamentary session in June.
Radio Topic: Mariel Savoy
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