The Swiss authorities have decided to give refugees from Ukraine a unique status, which has never been given to anyone in history. We are talking about the special status "

This status was developed back in the 90s, when there was a war in the Balkans. It was created as an option for the quick reception of refugees without long bureaucratic procedures.. However, when the procedure was developed and adopted in 1999, the war ended and the status was never granted to anyone..

From now on, the “S” status will be granted to Ukrainians and family members, as well as third-country nationals who, before the start of a full-scale war, had a permanent residence permit in Ukraine and cannot safely return to their own country. But those who have already received protection in any EU country will not be able to obtain this status..

According to the rules of status, it grants the right to reside in Switzerland for one year, renewable as long as the war continues.. Adults will be able to look for work, and children will study in local schools. In addition, refugees will receive financial support of up to $1,600 per month per person.. After five years, if the war continues, status holders can get a permanent residence permit..

The innovation was that people with this status can travel freely within the Schengen area.

According to the lawyers, the status was not applied during the waves of refugees as a result of the "

Since the start of the full-scale war, at least 11 thousand Ukrainians have arrived in Switzerland - at least that many have already registered. The federal government said that the country is ready to accept up to 60,000 people, but the authorities of the cantons were instructed to prepare for the worst scenarios - it is assumed that up to 300,000 Ukrainians may arrive in Switzerland by the end of the year..

Switzerland has prepared about 5,000 places for Ukrainians in federal refugee centers, and in addition, private individuals are ready to offer a roof over their heads for 45,000 people.

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Recall that the European Commission proposed to allocate 3.4 billion euros in support of EU countries that help refugees from Ukraine. The money will be sent as part of the REACT-EU program. Funds are used to invest in housing, education, healthcare, employment and childcare.