Switzerland is ending its development aid to Eritrea, citing frustrations with the African country’s refusal to take back rejected asylum seekers.
According to an external evaluation, too little progress had been made in the area of migration, a spokesperson for the Swiss foreign ministry told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
Relations between Switzerland and Eritrea have improved, said Michael Steiner, spokesperson for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
It has been possible to strengthen vocational training. However, no major progress had been made in the area of migration, he added.
Switzerland is working on being able to return rejected asylum seekers to their home country. Eritrea is not prepared to accept them.
According to the SRF report, the aid is to be discontinued at the end of May. The decision was made independently of the federal government’s cost-cutting measures, according to the radio report.
sourc: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/foreign-affairs/swiss-development-aid-for-eritrea-is-stopped/88816811
