Since 1 November 2025, Switzerland revised its practice for granting protection status S by taking into account an applicant's region of origin in Ukraine. Individuals from seven western regions are, in principle, no longer eligible for protection, as returns to these areas are considered reasonable.
By the end of February 2026, 104 return decisions had been issued, while many cases remained pending due to more complex assessments. The new approach has increased procedural workload and lengthened decision times, although applications from the affected regions have declined overall.
Source(s)
- State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione (2 April, 2026), Adaptation de la pratique pour l’ouest de l’Ukraine : aperçu de la première phase de mise en œuvre [Adapting the practice for western Ukraine: an overview of the first phase of implementation],