“Der Spiegel” reports, Switzerland wants to assess the security level of each refugee's living area, determining if it poses a real threat to them.
This policy differs from the European Union's general approach — assistance to Ukrainians within the EU territory has been extended until March 2027.
Under the new regulations, territories of Ukraine will be classified as “safe” and “unsafe”. The Swiss government wants to consult the European Union and its own federal cantons regarding this issue. The new regulations might come into effect in the autumn.
According to the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), currently, there are no active combat operations in several western regions of Ukraine.
Furthermore, the rules will also be tightened for Ukrainians already living in the country under special status. From now on, if they spend more than 15 days in Ukraine within a 6-month period, they will be stripped of their special status. Previously, this limit was 15 days per quarter.
As of today, there are approximately 69,000 Ukrainians living in Switzerland under this special status.
