The Swiss Radio and Television reported that Switzerland has resumed deporting certain Afghan and Ukrainian foreign criminals after a few years of hiatus.
According to the Swiss Migration Office, this decision applies to individuals deemed a threat to public safety.
In the first phase of this action, Switzerland deported three Ukrainian citizens last week and two Afghan citizens the month prior. The report highlights that these two Afghans are the first cases of Afghan deportations since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
One of these deportees is an Afghan asylum seeker convicted in 2018 for kicking another Afghan citizen in the head during a football match. He was sentenced to 16 months of suspended imprisonment and barred from re-entering Switzerland for seven years.
Vincenzo Mascioli, the director of the Swiss Migration Office, defended the decision, stating that this marked the first deportation to Ukraine since the onset of the war there.
Human rights organizations and migration experts have criticized Switzerland’s decision. Amnesty International Switzerland called the action a violation of the humanitarian principle of non-refoulement, stressing that Afghanistan and Ukraine are unsuitable return destinations due to the perilous security situations in both countries.
Despite the objections, the Swiss Migration Office stated that the general security risk in these countries does not necessarily prevent deportations. Each case is reviewed individually, and decisions are made after further assessments.
Afghan refugees face immense hardship, with many fleeing conflict, instability, and severe economic challenges.
Afghanistan has one of the largest refugee populations globally, with around 6.4 million Afghans displaced, underscoring the country’s prolonged crises and the critical need for international support.
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