BERN — Human rights organizations, political asylum seekers and solidarity groups gathered outside the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in Bern to protest Switzerland’s deportation policies.
The case of Bahar Yalçınkaya, who was deported from Switzerland to Türkiye together with her two children, was highlighted during the protest. Organizers said Yalçınkaya was detained after arriving in Türkiye and subsequently imprisoned with her 15-month-old baby. Her lawyer had reportedly warned Swiss authorities in advance that she faced a risk of detention if returned. Allegations that Yalçınkaya was handcuffed behind her back and removed in front of her children were also raised during the demonstration. The case has also been reported in the media.
The organizers called on Swiss authorities to assess, on an up-to-date and individual basis, the risks of torture, ill-treatment, political or arbitrary detention and other serious human rights violations faced by people subject to deportation.
The case of asylum seeker Hasan Bal was also raised. According to the organizers, Bal was detained in Sion, in the canton of Valais, on 6 August for deportation despite his appeal process reportedly not yet having been concluded.
The protesters called for deportations carrying a risk of human rights violations to be suspended, for the use of force during deportation procedures to be independently reviewed, and for conditions in federal and cantonal asylum centers to be improved.
They also demanded that the best interests of children, the protection of vulnerable groups and effective access to legal safeguards be placed at the center of asylum and deportation decisions.
The protest continued with whistles, applause and slogans under the message: “The right to asylum and human dignity are not negotiable.”
