Against the background of the suspension of consular services for men liable for military service abroad, Swiss politicians have publicly stressed the need to return Ukrainian men - there are about 11,000 male refugees in Switzerland.

This was reported by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

It is noted that according to the Federal Department of Justice of Switzerland (FDJP), the issue of suspending the provision of consular services for Ukrainian persons liable for military service abroad may concern about 11,000 Ukrainian men living in Switzerland.

Christian Wasserfallen, Advisor to the Free Democratic Party (FDP), emphasised: "Anyone who is potentially serving in the military in Ukraine has no justified claim to S protection status, as it is primarily aimed at women, children and the elderly in need of protection." It is therefore emphasised that Switzerland should help Ukraine with the possible return of men liable for military service.

"We do not want to accept de facto deserters who have fled a country whose defensive war now needs them on the ground," Wasserfallen says.

He calls for a readmission agreement with Ukraine, as he says: "Both countries are interested in the return of about 11,000 men. This would help Ukraine solve its staffing problem and at the same time relieve the overloaded Swiss migration structures."

The SVP party also wants to consider the agreement.

Pascal Schmid, Chairman of the Asylum Committee of the Swiss People's Party, suggested raising the issue in the National Council: "We are showing a lack of solidarity with Ukraine, which has completely stopped at the front line."

As an example, Schmid suggests imagining the opposite scenario: "If Switzerland's existence was under threat, we would not be happy if other countries were harbouring hundreds of thousands of our soldiers and thinking they were doing something good."

SVP National Advisor Barbara Steinemann emphasised: "Depriving conscripts of their protected status seems cruel at first. But if they return to Ukraine, the country will be of great help. And this, in fact, should also be in the interests of those circles that constantly demand arms supplies."

Given this position of politicians, the Head of the Ukrainian Society in Switzerland called such statements cynical and ‘a moral and political declaration of bankruptcy’. He emphasises:

"This is a cynical attempt to solve the Ukrainian problem. Moreover, it comes from the politicians of a country that has not even given permission to third countries to transfer Swiss weapons to help Ukraine."

Earlier, we reported that passports are no longer issued to Ukrainian men liable for military service abroad.