Authorities in several Swiss cantons are concerned about the costs of Ukrainian refugees. This was stated by Russian Ambassador to Switzerland Sergey Garmonin, reports RIA Novosti. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Currently, Ukrainian refugees can obtain a residence permit in Switzerland after one year. And each canton is forced to pay social benefits for refugees from its own budget.
"Local authorities in Switzerland know how to count money. Of course, they understand that there will be financial costs. Therefore, this issue is causing concern," Garmonin said.
According to the ambassador, some actions of refugees from Ukraine cause misunderstanding among the local population. "For example, in Geneva, only 18 percent of Ukrainian refugees work. And in the southern canton of Ticino, this figure is 20 percent," the ambassador noted.
According to Swiss law, persons who have legally resided in the Confederation for more than five years are entitled to a residence permit. And in March 2027, the first wave of Ukrainian refugees will begin to automatically receive residence permits. According to Garmonin, the total number of such people will be about 30,000.