BERNE - The Federal Council must step up its diplomatic activities at the Eritrean authorities to try to reduce, as far as possible, the flow of migrants from this country. After the National, even the states have now adopted a motion of Claude Béglé National Council (PPD / VD).
The parliamentary act has several objectives: to get a greater commitment by the Eritrean authorities in the framework of respect for human rights, to conclude a readmission agreement and implement an economic development program of the African country.
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter did not oppose the motion, while stressing that the situation in Eritrea remains difficult and the possibility of cooperation with this country are currently limited. The implementation of the act depends on the parliamentary steps that the African country is willing to make, steps currently insufficient, said the foreign minister.
Switzerland is in any case in favor of concluding a readmission agreement. So far, though Eritrea systematically refuses any kind of cooperation in cases of forced return. There is also the problem of the absence of guarantees on the safety for people who return to the country.
Béglé the motion was filed just days after a mission by a delegation of Swiss politicians in Eritrea who had done much to discuss. Besides Béglé, the group were among others the part of Aargau State Councillor Susanne Hochuli (Verdi) and the National Councillors Thomas Aeschi (UDC / ZG), Yvonne Feri (PS / AG) and Christian Wasserfallen (FDP / BE). On their return they had asked for more relations between Bern and Asmara to facilitate the postponement in that country, from which the largest number of refugees in Switzerland.
Their initiative has been criticized by politicians and humanitarian organizations, according to which the Swiss delegation had not the means to get a true picture of the human rights situation on the spot.
The Eritrean asylum seekers are a recurrent issue to parliament.Already more than five years ago, MPs had called for a readmission agreement that would have allowed Switzerland to return home those whose asylum application had been rejected.