Italy suspends transfer agreements for asylum seekers in Switzerland
Swiss authorities say Italy is blocking the return of asylum seekers despite an international migration deal.
This content was published on December 25, 2022 – 11:55 am
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The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) announced that three weeks ago, the Italian government informed Switzerland of a temporary suspension of the Dublin Agreement, which divides responsibilities for examining asylum applications between the member states of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein regulates.
Due to the suspension, 184 people cannot be sent back to Italy, the SEM on Sunday confirmed a report by NZZ am Sonntag.
Italy said it is struggling to cope with large numbers of new migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat, while pressure mounts on refugee centers in Switzerland.
According to the SEM, 152 of the 184 people affected are asylum seekers and the rest do not have legal residence status in Switzerland. However, transfers based on the bilateral readmission agreement between Switzerland and Italy are not affected by this measure.
Asylum centers fight
The office said it took note of Italy’s decision and canceled some transfers at short notice. However, she expects Rome to resume its obligations under the Dublin Accord in the near future.
Italy’s move comes at a time when Swiss cantonal authorities responsible for asylum issues are struggling to provide enough accommodation for applicants.
“These 184 people are blocking the limited capacity that we would rather use for those seeking protection who can stay here longer,” Florian Düblin, secretary general of the canton’s justice and police directors, is quoted in the newspaper.
Ten days ago, the Swiss government approved the deployment of up to 500 military personnel to deal with the influx of refugees and asylum seekers in recent months.
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