Switzerland called on to improve treatment of asylum seekers

The forced separation of asylum-seeker families and the possible ‘Swiss law instead of foreign judges’ vote came under scrutiny in Amnesty International’s annual report, released on Thursday. The NGO report focused particularly on the rigid treatment of migrants and asylum seekers which the Alpine nation is sometimes known for. “The [Swiss] authorities sent back several asylum seekers to other Schengen countries by applying the Dublin regulation (a European Union text that determines which state should process applications) without considering the family bonds of these people in Switzerland,” Amnesty wrote. They described the case of an Afghan family who were separated and imprisoned in 2016 before being sent back to Norway, a case that the Federal Supreme Court last year ruled had been a violation of the family’s rights. Denise Graf, coordinator of the asylum division of Amnesty Switzerland, told swissinfo.ch that this was not an isolated case, and that Swiss cantons have ...