Analysis by the newspaper SonntagsZeitung claims that Ukrainian refugees are sometimes given significantly less money by certain cantons than other refugees who end up in Switzerland, reports 20 Minutes.
While Switzerland has put in place a fast track asylum process for Ukrainians, which quickly provides them with an S visa entitling them to work in Switzerland, the sums of money given to those arriving from the war-ravaged nation is reported to sometimes be less than half what refugees from other nations are given.
For example, a Ukrainian mother of two was given CHF 865 a month to cover basic food, hygiene, clothing and transport costs. If she had arrived as regular refugees she would have received CHF 1,800, more than double the amount she is getting, reported the newspaper.
Several Swiss politicians have criticised this unequal treatment. Andreas Glarner, a parliamentarian from the UDC/SVP, a party that typically takes a tough line on immigration, described the level of financial support given to Ukrainian refugees as meagre. If the amount is too low we should increase it, he said. These are real refugees and we must ensure they are treated well.
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