“Abrogating the restrictive measures added to a law that was already in itself very harsh, and that as a result risks no longer conforming even to the minimum standards of the Geneva Convention for refugees”: that’s the aim of the referendum against the restrictive law on the right of political asylum for which the Church in Switzerland is also campaigning, explains a statement put out by the Centre for Studies and Research on Emigration at Basel run by the Scalabrinian Missionaries. “On 16 December 2005 says the statement the Swiss Parliament approved yet another reform of the law on political asylum. The law now prescribes that applications for asylum submitted by those who are unable to present valid identity documents be immediately rejected. By excluding right from the start those who have no passport we risk turning our back on those escaping from political persecution”. Moreover, the statement continues, “the law prescribes that immediately after an application for asylum has been rejected, the government, without awaiting any possible appeal, may proceed to expulsion by entering into contact with the country of origin, which in this way would obtain information on the flight of one of its own citizens. In this way the safety of the families of refugees, who at times are persecuted instead of those who have fled the country, is put at risk”. “Within the Catholic Church, Caritas, the Commission of Justice and Peace, the Swiss Union of Catholic Women and other non-governmental organizations says the statement have joined the coalition that is promoting the referendum for the abrogation of the law, together with various associations of the Evangelical Churches, trades unions and humanitarian organizations including the Swiss Organization of Aid to Refugees”.
