Switzerland may abolish protection for Ukrainian refugees – media
This week, the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) tabled a motion in the National Council to abolish the S protection status for Ukrainian refugees entirely, arguing that "large parts of Ukrainian territory have been spared hostilities and can now be considered stabilised."
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) reported the initiative, Censor.NET notes.
As of May 2025, more than 69,000 people in Switzerland held S status. Since the start of 2025, 3,300 new protection applications have been filed, while roughly 2,600 individuals have returned to Ukraine.
Most S-status holders receive housing from cantonal and municipal authorities.
Although the employment rate among Ukrainians is slowly rising, two-thirds still cannot support themselves, the paper writes.
Last year, the Swiss Parliament backed an initiative by Esther Friedli of the Council of States that restricts access to S status for Ukrainians coming from regions with no active hostilities or occupation. Those amendments do not affect persons who have already been granted protection. The Federal Council must determine, before the summer recess, which regions of Ukraine will be deemed safe.
