Switzerland has temporarily suspended participation in a UN programme aimed at resettling vulnerable refugees, blaming incapacity as it faces an influx of people fleeing Ukraine, Ednews report citing TRT.
The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) confirmed on Monday reports that the wealthy Alpine nation had suspended admissions of refugees under the United Nations refugee agency's resettlement programme.
"The resettlement programme will not be called into question, only admissions will be temporarily suspended," said SEM spokesman Lukas Rieder.
The UNHCR has been working to resettle to third countries some of the world's most vulnerable refugees living in precarious conditions.
For 2022, UNHCR had estimated that nearly 1.5 million refugees were in need of resettlement, although only a fraction of those spots were made available.
Switzerland, with a population of 8.7 million, had committed to resettling 1,820 vulnerable refugees in 2022 and 2023.
But local media reported that the justice ministry decided in late November to suspend the programme.
Rieder attributed the decision to "severe pressure" on Switzerland's asylum system, especially in terms of accommodation capacity and staff.