Zug,08.01.2009
Asylum-Seekers
In the past months Switzerland has been getting more requests for asylum. This is also felt in Canton Zug.
«We haven’t heard any more from Berne.»
Manuela Weichelt, Director of Internal Affairs
The statistics of the Federal Office for migration show it: Since the middle of the past year the number of new requests for asylum has gone up. In the first few months of the year 2008 there were approximately 1000 requests per month. Starting from August the number, however, constantly increased: In October over 2100 were registered. This has an effect on the cantons, as they are being allocated more asylum-seekers.
Housing is sought
In Lucerne this is posing problems. The Federal Government is assigning 80 asylum-seekers to the canton per month, because Lucerne must take up 4.9 per cent of the asylum-seekers in accordance with the guidelines of the Federal Government. But housing is lacking and available housing is being sought.
Also in Zug it is posing a problem – if the inflow continues at the current rate, the situation will become precarious. Canton Zug receives 1.4 per cent of the asylum-seekers who request asylum in Switzerland. In November and December of the past year 54 asylum-seekers were assigned to Zug. In comparison: in the same period the year before (2007) the number was 20. At the end of December there were 581 asylum seekers in Zug.
Short-term
“We are confronted with the same problems as for example Lucerne”, says Manuela Weichelt, Director of Interior Affairs. The Department of Social Services is responsible for supporting asylum-seekers in an advisory manner in Zug, and are in charge of finding accommodation. “It is difficult to find affordable housing, a fundamental problem in Zug". That’s the reason that the canton is often renting housing destined for demolition. The search for housing for asylum seekers is difficult because the canton often is only informed of the arrival of an asylum seeker scarcely 24 hours in advance. “We’re on very short notice”, so Weichelt. So far, no one has been assigned to civil defense shelters.
Law is under revision
The topic asylum-seeker is also a component of the social welfare assistance law, which is currently being revised in canton Zug.
Gubel: So far no reaction
And what’s happening with the Federal Government plans to open emergency accomodation for up to 100 asylum-seekers in Gubel, Menzingen? “We haven’t heard anymore from Berne” says Weichelt. The Federal Governement had to change their plans because clarification showed that the intended accommodation for asylum-seekers is at this time not possible in Gubel. There are problems with the zoning. “Now that the place in Menzingen fell through the Federal Government is allocating asylum-seekers quicker to the cantons” said Weichelt. Because on the Gubel quasi a kind of waiting loop for asylum-seekers should have been developed.
Source/Media Partner: Neue Zuger Zeitung