A temporarily admitted person tells you what a travel ban would mean

A person admitted temporarily says what a travel ban would mean to him

The National Council will soon decide on a travel ban for people admitted temporarily. Can Azad is a Syrian Kurd who has fled the country from civil war. Explain what toughening the law would mean to him.

kari kälin / ch media

In the middle of the conversation Can Azad says: “That is not my real name.” We’ll call it that in this article anyway. Azad, 22, a Syrian Kurd, grew up in a large family in a small town near the Turkish border.

He likes to read your good reasons for this as little as your true identity. About 3,000 kilometers from his home, Azad no longer has to fear that bombs will fall on his village and the Islamic State will invade. But the harsh winter fog is more likely to dissipate than the fears and feelings of threat that plague a young man who has spent much of his life in a country in civil war. Azad’s daily life in a community close to the city of Zurich is not really relaxed.

The Secretary of State for Migration rejected Azad’s asylum request. In January 2019, however, he received temporary admission (status F). Azad is allowed to stay in Switzerland because returning to Syria would be unreasonable. He says that due to the precarious state, F constantly feels in a kind of limbo. That the local authorities barely offered him support to find an apprenticeship.

How difficult it is to find your way around a foreign country with a different culture. And yet: Azad has built a social network and finds it easy. He is currently completing a 100% IT internship. He is involved in various organizations for migrants and helps refugees to understand daily life in Switzerland and the political system. You dream of studying computer science or studying social work.

Longing for family

Azad accepts the praise for his German with slight disbelief. Express himself fluently in the foreign language. Soon you will take the C1 level exam. That means: Azad can speak on complex topics without explicit preparation. For example on political issues. For example, on a planned amendment to the Aliens Law, which will be on the agenda of the National Council on Wednesday.

The Federal Council wants to toughen the travel rules for people admitted temporarily and, in general, prohibits them from traveling abroad, not just those in their country of origin. Human rights organizations criticize the bill for being disproportionate and violating fundamental rights. This would affect about 50,000 people.

Political affairs directly affect Azad. His father, mother, two younger brothers and a sister live in Germany. If parliament passes the law, you are no longer allowed to travel with loved ones without good reason. “I do not wish any MP that is not allowed to visit their parents and siblings just because they live in a neighboring country,” says Azad.

And: “Is it fair for politicians to decide on people like me without listening to us?” Azad has not seen his family since he fled Syria. You miss the emotional control that only your closest relatives can give you. “There shouldn’t be a law that separates families,” Azad says.

The Pfister movement was the beginning

The change in the law is based on a motion by Gerhard Pfister. However, five years ago, the CVP president actually only demanded a travel ban for people admitted temporarily. This was the time when cases of Eritrean refugees flying to their country of origin to spend their holidays and to visit relatives were regularly circulating in the media. The Federal Council expanded the proposal with a blanket travel ban.

In the consultation process, the Greens complained that Switzerland was locking up those seeking protection on its territory. The PS believes that refugees from the Syrian civil war also have the right to visit relatives in Germany or Italy. The bourgeois parties, on the other hand, welcomed the adjustment of the screw, because the ban on traveling home with a stopover in a third country could be revoked. The amendment to the Aliens Law includes other points. It remains to be seen if the Great Hall will even accept this blanket package. The preliminary advisory commission rejected this with 12 to 10 votes.

Even under the current regime, temporarily admitted persons cannot travel abroad as they please. Unlike recognized refugees, temporarily admitted persons need a permit from the Secretary of State for Migration for each trip to another country. During the first three years in Switzerland, they are only allowed to cross the border for special personal reasons, for example for school or training purposes, when traveling for professional reasons to a foreign country close to the border or in the event of illness or death of family members. Azad fears that he will only be able to see his father, who suffers from heart disease, again at his funeral if parliament passes the law. (aargauerzeitung.ch)