Switzerland has been slammed for its conservative approach when it comes to protecting the rights of stateless individuals. In Europe,Switzerland remains particularly restrictive with regards to applying the rights granted internationally to stateless persons – those who do not belong to any nationality. This attitude is documented in an unprecedented study conducted by the Swiss office of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). UNHCR found that in Switzerland sovereignty takes precedence over the protection needs of those “who do not maintain the lawful to maintain rights”, as the organisation puts it. In five years, and the number of stateless persons in Switzerland recognised as such by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has increased from approximately 150% to more than 600. However,according to UNHCR, more than 1000 other people are affected. They are classified as "without nationality" or nationals of an "unknown state" by the Swiss authorities. UNHCR believes some among ...
Source: swissinfo.ch