Refugees from Ukraine will be forced to sell a car for help in Switzerland.
The 20 Minuten edition writes that the rule will affect those refugees from Ukraine who have spent a year in the country and who have a car, the cost of which exceeds the amount of payments.
Social assistance then stops for a certain period of time, depending on how much the sale of the car brings.
In August 2022, the Swiss government announced more stringent conditions for calculating cash payments to Ukrainians. since then, when considering applications from Ukrainians with S status, the competent authorities of the host country take into account their financial situation. Previously, the income and property of a person were not taken into account.
Since March 2022, more than 60,000 citizens of Ukraine have received temporary protection status S in Switzerland. This type allows you to find a job and receive social assistance. At the same time, a person could spend 20-30% of the funds allocated by the state for life. Most of it went to pay for medical services and cover other expenses of the canton for the maintenance of a refugee.
The amount of payments was fixed and amounted to 1.5 thousand Swiss francs per month. Currently, each application is considered on a case-by-case basis based on the person or family’s income and assets.
If a citizen of Ukraine withdraws money from bank cards of financial institutions of the country of origin or buys assets, this affects the assessment of the level of income and is a decisive factor when considering a request for material assistance.
The same rules apply in Switzerland for temporary migrants from other countries.
We noticed that society criticizes the different attitudes towards the temporarily protected and those in need of protection. Therefore, we are discussing different options for how we will now check the assets of those who ask for help,” said Gaby Schollesi, secretary general of the Cantonal Conference of Social Directors, in an interview with Swiss Public Television.
According to her, the only exception is the car needed to return from the evacuation. She also noted in the summer of 2022 that a situation that will force Ukrainians to sell personal vehicles will not lead to good consequences. Income received in the country of temporary residence will also need to be calculated. By significantly increasing the barriers to receiving payments, this will ensure that the principle of legal equality is observed for all refugees receiving material support from the state.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.