In a complex humanitarian air bridge, Switzerland evacuated seven badly-injured Palestinian children and their 27 family members from the Gaza Strip on 24 October. Six Rega and Swiss Air-Force aircraft landed in Zurich, Geneva and Lugano carrying the patients, who were transferred to university and cantonal hospitals in Geneva, Vaud, Ticino, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne and St Gallen. The evacuees will enter an accelerated asylum procedure while receiving specialist medical care.
The operation was coordinated by the foreign ministry, the State Secretariat for Migration and the cantons, with logistical support from the WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières. It follows Switzerland’s long-standing tradition of offering temporary sanctuary to war victims who cannot obtain adequate treatment at home.
Cantonal authorities will cover treatment costs not reimbursed by health insurers, using disaster-relief funds where necessary. After recovery, the children and their relatives may be granted B-permits or humanitarian visas if return remains unsafe. The move underscores Switzerland’s dual role as both a strict gatekeeper of regular asylum flows and a responsive actor in targeted humanitarian crises.
For global mobility teams, the case demonstrates Switzerland’s capacity to approve special-purpose entry visas within days when humanitarian grounds exist—an exception to otherwise stringent rules. NGOs and multinational firms sponsoring medical evacuations should liaise early with SEM and local hospitals to secure capacity and clarify cost-sharing.
The operation was coordinated by the foreign ministry, the State Secretariat for Migration and the cantons, with logistical support from the WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières. It follows Switzerland’s long-standing tradition of offering temporary sanctuary to war victims who cannot obtain adequate treatment at home.
Cantonal authorities will cover treatment costs not reimbursed by health insurers, using disaster-relief funds where necessary. After recovery, the children and their relatives may be granted B-permits or humanitarian visas if return remains unsafe. The move underscores Switzerland’s dual role as both a strict gatekeeper of regular asylum flows and a responsive actor in targeted humanitarian crises.
For global mobility teams, the case demonstrates Switzerland’s capacity to approve special-purpose entry visas within days when humanitarian grounds exist—an exception to otherwise stringent rules. NGOs and multinational firms sponsoring medical evacuations should liaise early with SEM and local hospitals to secure capacity and clarify cost-sharing.
