Swiss federal authorities have registered about 8,000 refugees who have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, and authorities are working hard to increase their hosting capacity, according to a census released today.
“More than 1,000 people can enroll in federal asylum centers every day,” the State Department for Immigration (SEM) said in a statement.
As of March 16, 7,903 people from Ukraine had been registered.
As many as 60,000 people can seek refuge in Switzerland due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the head of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Police, Karin Keller-Sater, said last week. An estimate that can vary depending on the continuation of the battles.
SEM currently has about 9,000 accommodations in federal reception centers, but may rely on cantons that have provided thousands of additional accommodations for people leaving Ukraine.
The Federal Ministry of Defense and Civil Protection also provides SEM with 1,800 temporary barracks in the cantons of Zurich and Jura.
Faced with the influx of refugees, the SEM states that it is actively seeking other places of residence.
People who have fled Ukraine because of the war receive a special protection status in Switzerland – known as S – which allows them to quickly obtain a residence permit without having to go through a standard asylum procedure.
This regime makes it possible to grant collective protection to a particular group during a serious threat, especially in the event of war. The S regime allows family reunification and largely corresponds to the solution adopted by the EU Member States, according to the Swiss federal authorities.
The registration of refugees has led to long queues, especially at the Federal Center for Asylum Seekers in Zurich, which is the canton receiving the most arrivals at the moment.
In anticipation of a possible temporary shortage of accommodation, the municipality of Zurich has decided to provide a large sports hall in the southwest of the city, the Swiss news agency ATS reported.
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