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It is the largest repatriation campaign in Swiss history: the Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) brought back more than 7,000 people at the height of the Corona crisis in the spring. With a total of 35 repatriation flights. In late April, the FDFA reported on the successful completion of the campaign. To the delight of the Chancellor of the FDP, Ignazio Cassis (59).
Cassis for the return campaign: “Now the invoices reach all the passengers”(05:49)
But the matter does not end there: the federal government secretly recovered another 1,000 people, including with deportation flights.
And this is how it works: at the end of April, hundreds of Swiss were still stranded abroad, that is, in Argentina, Peru, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, South Africa or Cape Verde. Because there are no flight connections, because they are stuck in remote regions or because they are affected by curfews. “There will be corners of the earth that cannot be reached,” the Department of Foreign Relations knew in late March.
FDFA launches “winter dream” campaign
Once the return campaign is over, the FDFA will start a new phase: focused on consular protection of the stranded rather than return. The FDFA speaks of “hibernation”, in German: winter sleep.
This also marks the beginning of a phase of extreme caution for the Federal Berns. The repatriation is officially over, so you don’t want to arouse wishes for a money-back guarantee. This arises from the crown protocols, which VIEW was able to inspect based on the Public Information Law.
No second return campaign: Travel at your own risk!(05:20)
Crisis managers feared damaging their image
The language regulation is also changed: instead of repatriation, there is now talk of “extraordinary measures to support blocked Swiss travelers”, as shown in an information note by Hans-Peter Lenz, director of the crisis management center, on 20 of May. In it, he explores the options for how the Swiss could still fly back.
He makes it clear: “It is important that these special operations are not in a continuum with the return campaign of phase II: the federal government has publicly communicated that it has completed them,” Lenz said. “Externally, the FDFA must clearly communicate that these are extraordinary measures that are necessary due to the development of the situation.”
The personal responsibility of travelers, as well as the subsidiary function of support of the federal government, must return to the center, he emphasizes. It should make it clear to people that after travel restrictions loosen around the world, “they have no support to wait for.”
The crisis manager is also afraid of damaging the image of the foreign affairs department and its boss, Ignazio Cassis: “You should not create the impression that the federal government made a mistake and misjudged the situation and is now making its decision again.”
Therefore, Lenz defines criteria under which conditions must still be performed special flights. For example, when there is no commercial means of transport or when there is a “critical mass of affected people willing to return”. In addition, those who have been recovered should pay for their flights in advance as far as possible, not be left with unpaid bills, as in the case of the return campaign.
Ten special flights since May
The result: a total of ten special flights will take place starting in May, the last in July. Charter flights are organized with Swiss and Edelweiss – to Argentina (221 people), Morocco (169), Dominican Republic (216) and more recently to Peru (248).
The FDFA also uses more unusual variants: Swiss cargo flights to Armenia (19) or China (11) carry those willing to return home with them. On a return flight by the Swiss crew from Jordan, where several planes were on the ground, 46 people were allowed to fly.
Deportation flights are also used
The Department also uses deportation flights from the Secretary of State for Migration (SEM) on three occasions. Rejected asylum seekers and people from the foreigners’ area are deported, the Swiss return home. Flights go to Albania and Moldova (4 people) and twice to Georgia (12). “A total of 15 Swiss citizens and one foreign citizen residing in Switzerland have returned to Switzerland,” says EDA spokesman Pierre-Alain Eltschinger of the SEM flights. “There were no problems”.
The SEM also confirms the flights: On the outbound flights, 73 people who left voluntarily and five were forcibly returned. “These flights were carried out in the months of May and June 2020, in which commercial flight connections were suspended,” says SEM spokesman Reto Kormann.
It highlights: “The foreigners to be repatriated had no contact with those who were returned to Switzerland. Therefore, you cannot talk about a mix. “At the moment, the SEM is not planning any specific flight with which more people can return to Switzerland.
No more special flights
The result: a total of 946 more people will be helped to return with the ten special flights, including nearly 700 Swiss or foreigners living here. However, the FDFA does not hang these actions on the big bell.
As for the future, “currently no special flights are planned,” says Eltschinger. It refers to the recommendation of the Federal Office of Public Health to continue avoiding unnecessary trips abroad.
“Travelers should be prepared for the fact that cross-border or national travel restrictions could again become stricter and traffic connections could be severely restricted, depending on the epidemic,” Eltschinger said. And he makes it clear: “In this case, Switzerland is no longer planning a new return campaign.”
