Up to 2,000 Ukrainians could seek refuge in Switzerland
While the crisis in Ukraine has not yet led to migration to Switzerland, according to current government estimates, depending on the duration and intensity of the war, a few hundred or up to 2,000 people could seek refuge in Switzerland.
This content was published on February 26, 2022 – 12:13 pm
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/ts
In the short and medium term, migrants from Ukraine are likely to go primarily to the EU countries Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, with which Ukraine borders, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) announced on Saturday.
Countries most likely to be affected are those where many Ukrainians already live. According to the SEM, the Ukrainian diaspora in Switzerland is relatively small compared to other European countries, at around 7,000 people.
Due to the unclear and rapidly changing situation in Ukraine, a conclusive assessment is not possible according to SEM – the situation is constantly being analyzed.
Deadly Rush
The UN refugee agency said on Saturday that almost 120,000 people had fled Ukraine to neighboring countries after the Russian invasion.
The numbers quickly rose as Ukrainians grabbed their belongings and rushed to escape a deadly Russian attack on their nation, including an attempt to take the capital.
The agency estimates that if the situation deteriorates further, up to four million Ukrainians could flee.
An extraordinary meeting of EU interior and justice ministers on the situation in Ukraine will take place in Brussels on Sunday. Minister of Justice Karin Keller-Sutter will take part.
In accordance with JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative