Switzerland is now including the sources of income already available to Ukrainian refugees in determining the provided social assistance due to major public discontent with the previous system, Gaby Szollosy, the secretary general of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Social Affairs (CDAS), told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
More than 62,000 Ukrainians received protective status in Switzerland, which provides collective protection to a certain group of individuals for the duration of serious threats, granting them the right to accommodation and medical care.
"When calculating the right to receive social assistance for persons who come from Ukraine, such property values as jewelry, cars and bank assets or real estate in the country of origin were not taken into account, contrary to persons temporarily admitted from other countries. Thus, even wealthy Ukrainians could still receive social assistance, but this was causing an increasing [public] discontent. We have observed that the public has made some criticism of the difference in treatment between those admitted on a temporary basis and those subject to protection," the official said.
Szollosy added that the money that persons with protective status withdrew from bank accounts in Ukraine, or other property values would be taken into account as part of their income.
The Swiss budget for 2023 provides 1.7 billion Swiss francs ($1.8 billion) for receiving Ukrainian refugees.
