The Swiss authorities have changed the conditions for access to S status for refugees from Ukraine, the SonntagsZeitung newspaper reports. This status gives the right to reside in the country and receive state aid. While in 2022, almost all requests for it were approved, this figure has now dropped to 87%.
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The application process has also become more complicated: instead of 15-20 days, it now takes up to 80 days to process an application. Applicants must provide evidence that they were in Ukraine at the beginning of the war and could not obtain protection in another EU country.
Currently, there are more than 67,000 Ukrainians with S status in Switzerland. In 2024, about 5,800 people returned to Ukraine, and 14,000 applications are pending.
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