The Corona virus has reached the first refugee camps on the Greek mainland. We must now act quickly, because it is probably a matter of time before the virus also reaches the completely overcrowded refugee camps on the Greek islands. Several thousand children are living there under the most precarious conditions. terre des hommes schweiz is therefore supporting the petition "Protection for children on the run". Sign it now!
What refugee organizations have been warning of for weeks has now come true. In camps on the Greek mainland first corona cases occurred. We therefore call on the Federal Council to react quickly: it should bring 200 unaccompanied minors from the refugee camps on the Greek islands to Switzerland and conduct asylum procedures.
At the end of January, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter had already promised to respond to the impending humanitarian disaster in Greece. She wanted to bring underage refugees with family ties to Switzerland. The Federal Council thus joined an initiative by several EU states to accept 1600 unaccompanied underage migrants. Not much has happened so far. While politicians at home and abroad are waiting for a pan-European solution, the virus continues to spread. Now it is increasingly threatening the most vulnerable among the refugees, who are in any case poorly treated medically and hygienically.
The petition Protection for children on the run therefore demands
- 200 unaccompanied minor refugees will be brought to Switzerland as quickly as possible, regardless of family ties, to conduct asylum procedures here.
- The selection of children is based on criteria of vulnerability, such as the age of the children.
- In Switzerland, the children are accommodated, cared for and accompanied through the asylum procedure in accordance with the federal government's guidelines.
Sign now, click here to see the petition!
We welcome Karin Keller-Sutter's action plan to include children and young people with family ties to Switzerland. Switzerland is loudly Articles 6 and 8 of the Dublin Regulation on the treatment of minors as asylum seekers ...but it's mandatory anyway. In view of the threat posed by the corona virus, it is necessary to provide protection for more children and young people on the run. The number of asylum applications in Switzerland is at its lowest level since 2009 and the Confederation has created infrastructure for accelerated asylum procedures which it can use for this purpose.
terre des hommes schweiz is continuing with its project MePower and the international campaign Destination Unknown for children and young people on the run, because they need special protection. Traumatic experiences can have long-term effects on their mental health, and children who are on the run without parents are particularly at risk. So sign the petition for the protection of children on the run now!
Photo from the Moria refugee camp in Greece: Christian Grund
