The Minister of Justice and Police believes that it is necessary to speed up the procedures for granting protection, which in the long run will lead to a decrease in the number of asylum applications, and believes that it is worth thinking about improving the employment situation for those refugees who remain in Switzerland. 

Integration of refugees in the labor market. How to improve it?

One solution is to think about how the regional employment center can better support people in the integration process. And also, to involve business organizations with which negotiations are already underway to establish a kind of public-private partnership in this matter.

We also need to think about adapting the protection status of S. A Ukrainian woman who stays in Switzerland for two years and finds a job here should be able to switch from protection status to residence status.

Return and change of status — is there a contradiction?

Given that the S protection status was originally aimed at returning refugees to Ukraine, changing it is a kind of contradiction. 

However, as Mr. Beat noted, it is now clear that the war in Ukraine will not end in the foreseeable future and that return is out of the question, which means that the need for refugees to find employment and change their status is becoming more and more urgent.

The Minister emphasized that many Ukrainian refugees come from areas that are currently under fire or completely destroyed. Therefore, the Confederation cannot send them back. 

«We must strive for return-oriented integration», the official said.

But he emphasized that this dual and, again, seemingly contradictory goal is provided for by law. In addition, he believes that it will be good if people return home after the war with new skills acquired in Switzerland, and not just «sit here all this time».

However, Mr. Jans emphasized that now it is about understanding the problem and finding solutions, not promises.

Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung.