The Swiss government in April pledged to allocate $5.65 billion to Ukraine until 2026 for the country's economic recovery. Up to 66,946 Ukrainians currently have the S protection status in Switzerland, which gives them the right to work, access to insurance, education for children, and the opportunity to travel freely within the country and abroad.
"The Confederation is spending billions of francs of public money … Granting S status should be limited to Ukrainians who really need protection. In addition, the UDC opposes any new multibillion aid to Ukraine," the statement read.
The party believes that the S protection status should be granted only to individuals whose last place of residence was in regions of Ukraine fully or partially under Russian control or in areas experiencing active hostilities.
"Ukraine is 15 times bigger than Switzerland. Vast areas are under Ukraine's control and are unaffected by the hostilities, and the arrival of people from there is unjustified. As evidenced by the fact that people with S protection regularly visit these regions from Switzerland! The S status should also no longer apply to foreigners residing in Ukraine, as they can return to their country of origin," the statement read.
Switzerland is already spending a lot on help to Ukraine and intends to provide over 11 billion francs ($12.3 billion) in development assistance to the country over the next four years, the party added.