Bund still tries to keep the ball low
Italy continues to refuse to take back refugees
Italy continues to refuse to take back refugees for whose asylum applications the country is actually responsible under the Dublin agreement.
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Border guards keep picking up illegal migrants at Chiasso train station. At the moment, however, they cannot be returned to Italy.
Daniel BallmerEditor Politics
Italy has closed its borders. Because new migrants are constantly arriving from the Mediterranean, the new government Giorgia Meloni (45) has not been taking back Dublin refugees since shortly before Christmas. Switzerland is currently unable to repatriate 184 people, although Italy would be responsible as the country of entry according to the Dublin Agreement. The migration situation is also tense in this country.
The Dublin states concerned were actually informed that the admission freeze would end after the holidays. But the hope was disappointed. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) expected Italy to take back Dublin refugees by January 6 at the latest, spokesman Samuel Wyss told Blick. “This expectation is shared by other affected Dublin states.”
Switzerland must continue to be patient
But even this hope has been dashed. Switzerland must continue to be patient. “The European Commission and Switzerland are in contact with the Italian authorities,” says SEM spokesman Wyss. “It can be assumed that the freeze on admission will be lifted soon.” The Swiss authorities only seem to be able to make a fist in a poke.
Still, the SEM tries to keep the ball flat. The deadline for transferring Dublin cases is six months anyway. A short-term freeze on Italy’s admissions is therefore manageable. The cases in question could subsequently be transferred. In addition, Switzerland could at least continue to make Dublin takeover requests.
“The asylum system has failed”
At the political level, however, Italy’s freeze on admissions caused red heads. “The asylum system has failed,” rumbled SVP President Marco Chiesa (48). The unilateral breach of contract by the new Italian government clearly shows that the Schengen-Dublin system is not working. The EU’s external borders are still not sufficiently protected.
SVP President Chiesa had even demanded that asylum seekers who had entered the country illegally be deported to an African country. He referred to the example of Great Britain, which has concluded an agreement with Rwanda. Asylum applications should in future be examined in Rwanda and not in Great Britain. This is to discourage people from crossing the English Channel to the island.
For its part, the Federal Council does not consider such plans to be realistic for Switzerland. He will have to wait for Italy to take over Dublin refugees.