The Swiss Federal Council announced plans to revise the conditions for granting temporary protection status S to people displaced from Ukraine. In the future, only individuals coming from Ukrainian regions where life or physical safety is concretely threatened will be eligible for this protection. Beneficiaries of status S will also be allowed to stay in Ukraine for a maximum of 15 days per half-year, instead of the current 15 days per quarter.
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will determine which regions of Ukraine are considered safe or unsafe, based on the evolving security situation. Those from regions deemed safe will generally not be granted status S but will remain free to apply for asylum in Switzerland.
These changes implement three parliamentary motions adopted in 2024 (Friedli 24.3378; Würth 24.3022; Paganini 24.3035). The Federal Council aims to coordinate its approach with that of the European Union and will consult the cantons, humanitarian organisations, and the UNHCR before making final decisions in autumn 2025.
For now, the government does not plan to merge status S with provisional admission, preferring to evaluate the system after the eventual lifting of protection for people from Ukraine. However, it intends to remove remaining labour market restrictions for beneficiaries of status S to further increase employment participation.