Switzerland reduces protection for Ukrainians, some refugees may be deprived of status and deported

In Switzerland, the government has maintained temporary protection status (Status S) for Ukrainian citizens who left the country due to the full-scale invasion of the russian federation until March 4, 2027, and has also tightened the rules for obtaining it. Some refugees from Ukraine are threatened with deportation and deprivation of status. This was reported by the Federal Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland.

It is reported that now the protection status S (rapid asylum without lengthy procedures, granted to citizens of Ukraine) will be granted only to those who arrived from combat zones or occupied territories.

"The situation in Ukraine remains unstable, and its stable stabilization is not expected yet. Therefore, the S protection status for persons seeking asylum from Ukraine will not be canceled until March 4, 2027. This decision was made by the Federal Council at its meeting on October 8, 2025. Support measures for persons with S protection status (Program S) have also been extended until the specified date. As part of the implementation of the parliamentary decision, the State Secretariat for Migration is introducing a distinction between regions where return is considered permissible or inadmissible," the document says.

Thus, the members of the Federal Council decided to grant S protection status only to persons whose last place of residence was in occupied territories or combat zones. When granting temporary protection, a distinction is introduced between regions where return is considered "permissible" or "inadmissible".

Returns will be considered appropriate to:

o Volyn region;

o Rivne region;

o Lviv region;

o Ternopil region;

o Zakarpattia region;

o Ivano-Frankivsk region;

o Chernivtsi region.

What is the S protection status in Switzerland:

This is a temporary special status for people fleeing war (primarily for Ukrainians), granting the right to residence, work, social benefits and health insurance without the standard asylum procedure. It was introduced in March 2022 and was extended until March 2027, providing the opportunity to freely leave and return to Switzerland.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Polish Sejm approved a law that extends the legal status of Ukrainian citizens in the country until March 2026 and determines the conditions for providing them with social support.

Meanwhile, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that only those Ukrainians who work in Poland should receive assistance under the "800+" program, which is why he did not sign the amendment to the law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens.