Irregular migrants: Collected news items

Stateless children: a status contradicting children’s rights

15.02.2018

Stateless children are often labelled as “invisible” children since they do not appear in any official documents. Their lack of citizenship is the origin of a variety of discrimination. These children have no access to medical care,...

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW)

21.05.2014

of 18 December 1990
Entry into force on 1 July 2003
Ratified by 47 States (as at 21 May 2014; current count) Text of the ICRMW General information on the ICRMW
at humanrights.ch Not ratified by Switzerland  To this day, the...

Marriage ban for irregular migrants - Federal Supreme Court clarifies

21.12.2011

The implementation of the new provisions of the Swiss Civil Code for the fight against bogus marriages is problematic since rejected asylum seekers and irregular migrants cannot be denied the right to marriage (Art.12 ECHR) systematically. The Swiss...

Compulsory health insurance also valid for denied asylum seekers

21.07.2011

All people in need of assistance in an emergency shall in future be covered compulsorily by health insurance. On 6 July 2011, the Federal Council took this decision in its revision of the Health Insurance Regulations (KVV), reacting to a call from...

Hardship cases regulation collides with children’s rights

16.03.2011

Families living in Switzerland without valid residence permit have the possibility to legalise their stay under certain conditions under the hardship case regulation. The legal criteria for hardship cases provide the cantons with an extensive scope...

Access to apprenticeships for young irregular migrants

16.09.2010

As of 1 February 2013, it shall be possible for young irregular migrants to complete an apprenticeship under certain conditions. As part of the implementation of Luc Barthassat’s parliamentary motion, the Federal Council has decided to amend...

Irregular migrants to be barred from marriage

14.07.2010

As from 1 January 2011, people planning to marry in Switzerland will have to provide proof of their legitimate right to stay. The Federal Council has decided that the respective articles changed in the Swiss Civil Code (Art. 98 Para. 4 and Art. 99...

Unaccompanied children disappear in Switzerland

11.02.2010

Thousands of children, coming to Europe without their parents, disappear every year from lodging and reception centers without a search procedure being set in motion. In Switzerland too, experts consider that the majority of unaccompanied children...

«Sans-Papiers, you have rights!»

18.07.2008

«Sans-Papiers, you have rights!» is the subtitle of a leaflet informing undocumented migrants - so-called illegal - on their rights. It is produced by the Trade Union Unia and the Information Centre for Sans-Papier of the...

Medical care for undocumented migrants

18.07.2008

Foreigners living in Switzerland without valid residence permit are usually completely shut off from medical care, because of their illegal status. For fear of the police or other officials, they often wait too long before consulting a doctor or a...

Council of Europe recommends regularisation of irregular migrants

04.12.2007

A large number of people, estimations speak of 5.5 million, live in European countries without valid documentation. They live in very precarious situations and are prone to have their rights violated. In its recommendation 1807, which had been...

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