The publication Le Temps reports that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Switzerland has already deported about a hundred Ukrainian refugees to other countries. A new resonant case was the story of the family of artists Olena and Oleksandr Bohachuk from Kharkiv. Despite two years of living in Geneva and four children who have adapted to local schools, the authorities demand that they urgently leave the country and go to Lithuania. This is reported by UNN.
Details
The Swiss Migration Service (SEM) denied the family protection status S because they had been in Lithuania for twenty days at the beginning of the invasion. According to the SEM's position, which was supported by the Federal Administrative Court in January 2025, Vilnius is responsible for sheltering Ukrainians.
The police have already carried out a "return procedure" with the couple, warning that in the absence of voluntary departure, they would be taken at dawn and forcibly put on a plane.
Difference between Swiss rules and EU norms
According to Le Temps, Switzerland's approach is specific. EU countries, in a joint declaration, committed not to apply the rule on the mandatory return of refugees to the country of first registration. For example, Germany and France allow Ukrainians to receive protection even after staying in other countries. In contrast, Switzerland adheres to a strict rule: if a person has already registered in another safe country, they cannot count on status in the Confederation.
Last chance for asylum
Kharkiv residents are trying to appeal the decision, as they have no ties to Lithuania and do not know the language. Returning to their native Kharkiv is also impossible due to constant shelling and destroyed city infrastructure. In a last attempt to avoid deportation, the Bohachuk family applied for asylum, a decision on which is currently pending.