ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland will extend for a year its streamlined process for hosting refugees from the war in Ukraine, the government said on Wednesday, deciding it was not yet safe for people to return home.
The cabinet said special protection status for these people would remain in effect until March 2024 barring a fundamental change in the situation in Ukraine. Switzerland’s doors opened in March this year, shortly after Russia invaded its neighbour
Since March more than 67,000 Ukrainians have received refuge in Switzerland. As of Oct. 31, 6,394 people had permanently left Switzerland to return home, the cabinet added in a statement.
Eastern European countries are preparing for a possible new wave of Ukrainian refugees as Russia targets power and heating plants ahead of winter, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying about 4 million people are already without electricity.
(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
