The Swiss government has announced it will take in up to 1,600 refugees till the end of 2023. Most beneficiaries will be persons fleeing conflict and persecution in five different countries.
As a part of its resettlement scheme the Swiss government said it will accept up to 1,600 refugees, mostly from crisis zones, until the end of 2023. The decision was announced on May 19 by the Swiss federal council.
The candidates are persons fleeing ongoing military conflicts or persecution in the Middle East and along the Central Mediterranean route, a statement read.
The Swiss authorities have said that due to practical reasons and to ensure effectiveness, the program will select people from only a maximum of five initial host countries. The list of countries has not been announced yet. Only a small contingent of 10% will be reserved for refugees fleeing unforseen situations in other countries.
Criteria
The selection criteria include holding a refugee status recognized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the need for protection that the country of first reception fails to provide, and the refugee's willingness to integrate in Switzerland. Those selected will go through an in-depth security review, the government announced.
Since the public health crisis has delayed refugee resettlement, the program provisions 300 additional places to include those who weren't able to relocate to Switzerland last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2019, the Federal Council of Switzerland has introduced an admission quota of 1,500-2,000 refugees, every two years.
SOURCE: InfoMigrants
