Swiss lawmakers advance measures to tighten asylum policy

Switzerland’s House of Representatives voted on Thursday, September 17, in favour of a package of measures aimed at tightening asylum and migration policy, Swiss broadcaster Swissinfo reports.

The lower house approved a motion submitted by the parliamentary group of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party calling on the government to oppose any proposed changes to European Union rules governing compensation for unemployed cross-border workers.

In a separate motion, lawmakers called on the federal government to revoke the Swiss citizenship of dual nationals convicted of the most serious crimes and deport them.

The House also called on the government to change its policy on asylum applications submitted by Afghan women, so that they would no longer be automatically granted asylum but instead receive provisional admission status.

A further motion backed by the majority called for legislative changes to allow targeted sanctions to be imposed on countries of origin that refuse to cooperate with Switzerland.

The federal government had previously rejected all nine motions debated by the House.

The motions approved by the lower house will now be considered by the Senate during an extraordinary session focused on “the EU and asylum.”

By Tamilla Hasanova