Public service Canton halts plans for a temporary asylum center in southern Ticino
The canton of Ticino has put plans for a temporary asylum center in southern Ticino on hold. The reason for this is further clarifications demanded by the municipality concerned. By the end of March, 40 asylum seekers were to have been accommodated in an empty hotel in Rovio.
20.03.2025, 15:23
SDA
The canton is now looking for alternatives, as Renzo Zanini, Head of the Office for Asylum Seekers and Refugees, told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Thursday.
The municipality has requested further clarification from the owner of the vacant "Park Hotel" in Rovio, Zanini continued. For this reason, the conditions for accommodating asylum seekers in the village of Rovio, which belongs to the municipality of Val Mara, are currently lacking.
There is currently no timetable for accommodating the asylum seekers in question, Zanini continued. They would first have to wait for a response from the hotel owner.
Late information for the population
Last week, it became public that the Ticino Department of Health and Social Affairs was planning a temporary asylum center in southern Ticino. The FDP and SVP criticized the fact that the municipality had only found out about this from the media. Both parties have launched motions demanding answers from the Ticino government. These are likely to be discussed in the Grand Council as early as next Monday.
While various Ticino media reported on the project several days ago, an information event for the population of the village, which has around 800 inhabitants, only took place this week. A group of residents of Rovio has since launched a petition against the accommodation of asylum seekers.
