Switzerland will narrow eligibility for the special Protection Status S that has covered Ukrainian refugees since March 2022. In a policy note published on 27 October, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said that, from 1 November 2025, applications will be screened against a regional-safety list. Ukrainians whose last place of residence is deemed “safe for return” will no longer qualify for the fast-track protection, although family-unity applications for immediate relatives of existing Status S holders remain admissible.
The move mirrors the EU’s own graduated approach and follows pressure from several cantons that say social-welfare budgets are stretched. Switzerland hosts roughly 66 000 Ukrainians under Status S, who enjoy immediate work rights, health insurance and federally funded integration courses. SEM stressed that no one already granted Status S will lose it and that the status, in principle, runs until at least 4 March 2027—matching the EU timeline.
For companies, the change mainly affects future hires: employers planning to recruit Ukrainian talent after 1 November must verify whether the candidate’s home oblast is still considered a conflict zone. If not, standard work-permit quotas and labour-market tests will apply. Mobility managers should therefore adjust recruitment pipelines and prepare for longer processing times.
Human-rights NGOs have criticised the criteria as opaque, urging SEM to publish the regional list in advance. SEM says the list will be updated quarterly in consultation with the Foreign Ministry and will reflect on-the-ground security assessments by the EU and UNHCR.
The policy signals Switzerland’s broader shift from emergency response to long-term integration management, balancing solidarity with resource constraints.
The move mirrors the EU’s own graduated approach and follows pressure from several cantons that say social-welfare budgets are stretched. Switzerland hosts roughly 66 000 Ukrainians under Status S, who enjoy immediate work rights, health insurance and federally funded integration courses. SEM stressed that no one already granted Status S will lose it and that the status, in principle, runs until at least 4 March 2027—matching the EU timeline.
For companies, the change mainly affects future hires: employers planning to recruit Ukrainian talent after 1 November must verify whether the candidate’s home oblast is still considered a conflict zone. If not, standard work-permit quotas and labour-market tests will apply. Mobility managers should therefore adjust recruitment pipelines and prepare for longer processing times.
Human-rights NGOs have criticised the criteria as opaque, urging SEM to publish the regional list in advance. SEM says the list will be updated quarterly in consultation with the Foreign Ministry and will reflect on-the-ground security assessments by the EU and UNHCR.
The policy signals Switzerland’s broader shift from emergency response to long-term integration management, balancing solidarity with resource constraints.
