2013-05-03 11:35:11

Swiss Christian Churches against tightening of asylum law


(Vatican Radio) The Catholic Church and other Christian denominations in Switzerland are calling for a “No” vote in an upcoming referendum that seeks to overturn a recent controversial tightening of the asylum law. Wolfgang Burgstein works for the Justice and Peace Commission of the Swiss Catholic Bishops Conference. He explained to Susy Hodges why they are opposed to this new legislation.

Listen to the full interview with Wolfgang Burstein: RealAudioMP3

Burstein says the Christian Churches in Switzerland “are standing together” on this issue and are particularly concerned about one of the law’s provisions that abolished “the possibility of making an asylum application at a Swiss Embassy abroad.” He goes on to explain how they believe this particular provision will have a particularly dramatic impact on Eritrean refugees who form the majority of asylum seekers in Switzerland. The other measures in the new legislation include the creation of special centres for “unruly” asylum seekers and refusing to accept asylum requests by conscientious objectors.

Asked whether he believes that the campaign for a “No” vote in next month’s referendum will be successful in overturning the new legislation, Jurgstein is not holding out high hopes: “I’m not very optimistic …. I think we will lose this referendum.” However, he says the important thing is that “the Churches are standing together on this issue” as they see the asylum seekers “as people,” often with dramatic stories, and do not merely see them as “a problem.”








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