Pressure behind the scenes Jans wants to extend S protection status - not to everyone's liking

A decision will be made on Wednesday as to whether protection status S will be extended. However, Parliament is calling for adjustments.

People fleeing the war in Ukraine are granted protection status S in Switzerland. This offers them protection in Switzerland and the opportunity to work here.

Federal Councillor and SP Minister of Justice Beat Jans (60) wants to extend the S protection status. Sources told Blick that the national government will follow Basel's lead at Wednesday's meeting.

Before the national government makes a decision on Wednesday, the State Secretariat in Jans' department has asked the cantons for their opinion. They tend to be open to the extension, provided the situation in Ukraine does not improve sustainably.

Parliament calls for adjustments

However, protection status S is not welcomed everywhere. It is under pressure in Bern. Hardly anyone is satisfied with the structure of the status. Esther Friedli (47) launched a motion stating that only people whose last place of residence was in the Ukrainian region that has been fully or partially occupied by Russia or "where more or less intensive fighting is taking place" should be granted protection status. The Council of States adopted the motion.

Shortly before this, the small chamber had adopted a motion by centrist politician Benedikt Würth (56), which aims in the same direction. Würth wants to prevent Ukrainian refugees with S status who travel back to their home country or to another country from being entitled to protection in Switzerland again. SP National Councillor Jean Tschopp (42) is also calling for protection status S to be changed to a residence permit. Reto Nause (53), a member of the Center-National Council, wants those in need of protection to receive a residence permit after three years in Switzerland, provided they have a job.

EU has already extended protection

In June, the EU already extended temporary protection in EU countries until March 4, 2026. So far, Switzerland has always followed suit. In the past, the Federal Council has communicated that it will only consider lifting protection status S when the situation in Ukraine stabilizes in the long term.