"Switzerland has a responsibility to be part of a European solution"
Friday, September 18, 2020 — From Reveka Papadopoulos, President of the Swiss section of MSF.
“It is scandalous to only accept 20 unaccompanied minors in Switzerland while more than 12 000 people keep being trapped on Lesvos, not to mention the several thousands living in deplorable conditions on the other islands.
There is a need for a sustainable political solution to be found within Europe and the new EU Migration Pact to be announced on 23 September is an opportunity to do that. Switzerland could and should be a leading example in showing solidarity with people in need and be part of the solution, offering safe and legal routes to seek asylum.
Different vulnerabilities need to be urgently addressed: unaccompanied minors are only one group, others are people specifically at risk for COVID-19, families with small children, victims of sexual violence, chronically ill people to name but a few.
Sending humanitarian supplies to the islands is just not enough. We can only hope that the humanitarian aid sent by Switzerland to Lesbos is not destined for a containment system. Switzerland is part of the Dublin and Schengen agreements and therefore has a responsibility to be part of a European solution for the people stranded at the entrances of Europe, regardless of it not being in the European Union. “
