While Denmark faces criticism over a controversial plan to confiscate valuables from refugees, Switzerland has been taking money from asylum seekers for years, Swiss authorities confirmed today.
Switzerland can confiscate sums greater than 1.000 Swiss francs, which is about 996 euros, from asylum seekers in that country, the spokeswoman for the Swiss migration authorities, Celine Colprat, told AFP.
"This practice is based on the fact that Switzerland wants people arriving in that country to contribute as much as possible to cover the costs of the asylum process and social benefits," she wrote in an email to the French agency.
With her statement, Kolprat confirmed the information that was published yesterday in the program on the state SRF channel, according to which asylum seekers who have more than 1.000 Swiss francs when they come to the reception center must hand over that money, and in return they will receive a receipt.
She explained that, in practice, a person must have at least 1.500 Swiss francs in their pocket for any amount to be confiscated.
The Swiss law differs from the draft law currently being debated by the Danish parliament in that it does not allow asylum seekers to be deprived of their material possessions, she said.
The Danish bill would allow the Danish authorities to confiscate cash in excess of 10.000 kroner, which is about 1.340 euros, as well as individual items worth more than that amount from asylum seekers.
Kolpratova's colleague Lea Wehrheimer said in a program on Swiss television that "if a person voluntarily leaves Switzerland within seven months, he can get the money back."
Swiss law also requires refugees who are allowed to live and work in the country to hand over 10 percent of their earnings over a 10-year period, or 15.000 Swiss francs in total, to the state coffers to help cover the costs of the asylum process.
The UNHCR, which condemned the draft law being debated by the Danish parliament, warning that it encourages xenophobia, meanwhile announced today that such a draft had previously caused concern when it came to the Swiss law.
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