The situation in Afghanistan is confusing and changing from hour to hour. Switzerland has already evacuated the six employees of the SDC cooperation office in Kabul. However, there are still thirty Afghan employees who are to be taken to Switzerland with their families.
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Taliban advance
FDFA withdraws Swiss employees from SDC office in Afghanistan
08/13/2021With videos
There are 200 people in total, explains Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis: "It's our turn and we're in contact with our people. We are looking for ways to bring them to Switzerland as soon as possible." There are currently many people who want to leave Afghanistan, but only one military airport through which they can be flown out.
With the Taliban taking Kabul, the humanitarian crisis is likely to worsen. Various organizations are therefore demanding that Switzerland should take in more refugees from Afghanistan.
Organizations require visas
Alexandra Karle, Executive Director of Amnesty International Switzerland says: "We appeal to Switzerland to provide humanitarian visas for family members of Afghans who are already living in Switzerland". This would allow these people to travel to Switzerland as quickly as possible. The focus should be on women and girls.
Audio
From the archive: Afghanistan is too dangerous for repatriations
04:40 min, from SRF 4 News current from 08/12/2021.
Play. Running time 04:40 minutes.
The alliance also demands independent legal work in the area of asylum and recalls that Switzerland did this at the beginning of the Syrian war in 2013. Nora Riss from the Freiplatzaktion Zurich says: "We demand that all people from Afghanistan who are currently in Switzerland receive a provisional admission."
When asked whether Switzerland could take in more refugees from Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said: «Switzerland has the right tools to do this, and it is precisely these assessments that we make every hour. We are used to doing this flexibly and quickly. Switzerland is always at the top of the countries that move first.”
But it is important to do this in cooperation with other countries. There is also the question of helping refugees who remain in the region. Half a million people from Afghanistan are now living in neighboring Iran. They have to be supported on site, but this also requires a thorough assessment of the situation.
02:04
From the archives: Taliban advance in Afghanistan
From the daily news from August 13th, 2021.
Play
When asked whether Switzerland is negotiating with the Taliban to allow people to leave the country, Cassis says: "At the moment the Taliban are not a government. Therefore, as a state, we cannot speak to the Taliban." However, humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) could and should do so to ensure humanitarian assistance.
Events are unfolding at the moment, but the message from Foreign Minister Cassis is clear: Switzerland is ready to provide assistance as soon as it knows exactly what is happening in and around Afghanistan.
