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Switzerland is struggling with a wave of refugees – the cantons are reaching their capacity limits.
Sermin Fakipolitical chief
90,000 refugees arrived in Switzerland last year, most of them from Ukraine. The cantons are slowly reaching their capacity limits. The Lucerne social director Guido Graf (64) is no different, as he says in an interview in the stately government building in Lucerne. Graf, who repeatedly makes pointed statements about migration policy, is concerned that solidarity among the population is dwindling and calls for reforms.
Mr Graf, on New Year’s Eve there were massive riots in Germany by young foreigners. Is something like that also conceivable in Switzerland?
Guido Graf: It is unbelievable and to be condemned in the strongest possible terms that emergency services, fire brigades and police forces were attacked during their operations. Such attacks must be prevented at all costs. The perpetrators must be severely punished without ifs or buts. It cannot be ruled out that such riots will one day also take place in Switzerland.
The refugee situation is also getting worse in this country: asylum seekers are being handed over to the cantons more quickly again, additional places are needed, and even the army is offering support. How is the situation in Lucerne?
The current situation also poses a major challenge in Switzerland in terms of accommodation and care for people from the asylum and migration sectors. However, the situation in Switzerland is calm and not comparable to Germany. We currently have around 6,400 refugees in the canton of Lucerne, a village the size of Beromünster. That is 65 percent more than in the previous year. Of these, 2636 people have protection status S, 800 are children and young people under the age of 20. That’s a metric.
Personally
Guido Graf (64) has been a government councilor in the canton of Lucerne for twelve years. Since then, the civil engineering graduate and association manager has headed the health and social department. The passionate fisherman is married, father of three children and a native of Lucerne through and through: He lives in his hometown of Pfaffnau, where he also grew up.
Lucerne government councilor Guido Graf.
Anya Wurm
Guido Graf (64) has been a government councilor in the canton of Lucerne for twelve years. Since then, the civil engineering graduate and association manager has headed the health and social department. The passionate fisherman is married, father of three children and a native of Lucerne through and through: He lives in his hometown of Pfaffnau, where he also grew up.
what is the other
We have a vacancy rate of 1 percent and a cantonal unemployment rate of 1.3 percent. That means: I have an additional village, but no apartments and I can’t find any caretakers for the people. As a result, we have civil defense systems ready in Dagmersellen, Willisau and Lucerne in the event of an emergency.
Which refugees give you more stomach ache: the Ukrainian women or the often male young asylum seekers from the rest of the world?
People from Ukraine are sometimes more demanding than others. But I don’t make a distinction who comes from where.
After the outbreak of war there was a huge wave of solidarity with the Ukrainians. Is this flattened?
The solidarity is still there, I notice that every day. But we have to make sure it doesn’t tip over. Look: In every wave of refugees, it is not the poorest or most threatened who come at the beginning, but those who can afford it. Of course, this leads to questions from the population: Are the right people coming?
This means?
It leads to great resentment among the population when refugees drive around in SUVs and receive social assistance at the same time. Other refugee groups also don’t understand that they are not allowed to have a car, but the Ukrainians are. Such differences can no longer be explained.
This special treatment is related to the S status for Ukrainians. Do you have to change anything about it?
It was absolutely correct that S status was activated when tens of thousands of Ukrainians suddenly found themselves in Switzerland. We wouldn’t have been able to cope with the onslaught otherwise. I would have liked the Federal Council not to simply extend protection status S, but instead to make key adjustments to the implementation.
Why? There is still war in Ukraine.
But S status is return-oriented. It was thought that the war would be over in a few months and that the Ukrainians would return to their homeland. But today we have to honestly say: That won’t happen, the terrible war will unfortunately last longer. And even when it’s over, going back to a devastated country isn’t an option for everyone.
What are you requesting?
Firstly, we must ensure that the different groups of refugees are treated equally. And secondly, start integrating the Ukrainians better. You have to get a daily structure, learn German, find a job. But the way it’s set out now doesn’t work. I would wish that official Bern would act quickly here.
What should Bern do then?
The cantons receive CHF 3,000 per person per year for the linguistic integration of Ukrainians. There is a one-time payment of CHF 18,000 for recognized refugees who have been granted asylum.
So they just want more money from the federal government. Once more.
It’s not just about ripping money out of the federal government. The 18,000 francs are wisely invested: we have a blatant shortage of skilled workers – I can sing a song about that as Health Director. Why don’t we see that we turn those people who are here and will probably stay here into professionals? Then the 18,000 francs come back x-fold. Just a look at the numbers shows that about half of the temporarily admitted and recognized refugees in the canton of Lucerne work. For Ukrainians with protection status S, the employment rate is 20 percent, and only 14 percent for all of Switzerland. Way too deep! There is huge potential here. Many want to work. But I also think everyone should.
… and the cantons would save money for social assistance.
It’s correct. But is it forbidden to profit from taking in refugees if that also benefits the refugees? Think of the young people: why don’t we let them do an apprenticeship here? If someone like that goes back to Ukraine afterwards, we’ve done something good. If he stays, we’ll have one more specialist.
Why is it that so few Ukrainians work? Because of language and technical skills, or are employers reluctant to hire someone who might have to go back soon?
Many speak neither German nor English, and the level of training is also lower than expected. Doctors and IT specialists – as expected – are hardly among them.
In view of the shortage of skilled workers: shouldn’t we do more with other refugee groups as well?
This is certainly potential that we are not making enough use of. There are studies that show that countries with a lot of immigration are particularly prosperous economically. But you have to do it wisely.
how to do it smart
We need to invest much more in integration. Of course it’s expensive at first. But I am convinced that we will benefit from it. In view of the global shortage of skilled workers, we will probably soon have no other option.
At the moment the political wind is blowing from the other direction: The SVP is demanding that Switzerland no longer accepts anyone given the high number of asylum seekers and refugees. What do you think?
That is not possible under international law and could not be implemented. Where the SVP is right: Europe has failed in migration. But my suggestion would be different: We should do more locally so that people don’t have to flee in the first place or at least can stay in their region. And we should reintroduce the embassy asylum. For three reasons: First, we would put a stop to the gangs of people smugglers. Secondly, asylum migration could be controlled better: that only people who are really being persecuted receive protection here in Switzerland. And thirdly, we would ensure that the Mediterranean does not become an even bigger graveyard than it already is.