Source: 20 Minuten

Do you want asylum – and celebrate the dictator?

By Claudia Blumer

This is what it’s about

  • There were riots in Opfikon ZH on Sunday night after friends of the Eritrean regime gathered.
  • There was also violence on Eritrean Independence Day in Norway and Israel.
  • Experts estimate that of the approximately 42,000 Eritreans who live in Switzerland, a very small proportion are loyal to the regime.

What happened?
On Sunday night, the Zurich police went to Opfikon with a large contingent: supporters of the Eritrean dictatorship had gathered there, and the opposition was also present. There were violent riots. Twelve people were injured and three Eritreans were arrested. It was not known on Sunday which group the injured and arrested belonged to.

Why are refugees from Eritrea celebrating the dictatorship in Switzerland?
The third most asylum seekers came from Eritrea in 2022, namely 1,830. However, those loyal to the regime are a different group, says Annelies Müller, consultant and specialist for Eritrea and Ethiopia. The supporters of the Eritrean government came to Switzerland in the 1970s and 1980s and fled the Ethiopian state during the war of independence. They are older and only know today’s Eritrea from visits and hearsay. Their children are also likely to have sympathies for the regime.

Are asylum seekers also among those who celebrate the dictator?
That is possible. “Anyone who has fled to Switzerland and has relatives in Eritrea must fear for their relatives,” says Annelies Müller. Those left behind would be tortured, harassed and dispossessed by the government. Asylum seekers in Switzerland who have parents or siblings in Eritrea are inherently susceptible to blackmail, says Annelies Müller. “Many remain silent, but some also allow themselves to be recruited for propaganda work.” Another problem is that the federal government does not stand clearly enough behind the asylum seekers and condemn the dictatorship, but even cooperates with the Eritrean consulate and provides data from asylum seekers. According to media reports Eritrean spies even work as translators for the migration authorities.

Does an asylum seeker lose protection in Switzerland if he commits himself to Eritrea?
This possibility exists. It is obvious that no asylum will be granted if someone is committed to the regime in Eritrea and the migration authorities are aware of this, says Daniel Bach, head of communications at the State Secretariat for Migration. Someone could also be subsequently excluded from asylum. “In a procedure, it can never be ruled out with absolute certainty that someone will wrongfully receive asylum,” Bach. “Therefore there is the possibility of subsequently revoking the asylum.”

Blue and red shirts

Friends of the Eritrean regime wear red, opponents wear blue. The background is the former Eritrean flag, light blue with olive branch, in use between 1952 and 1962. Today’s flag, however, is blue, red, gold and green. During the protests in front of the Eritrean embassy in Israel, opponents of the regime wore blue shirts, the Eritrean friends wore red shirts with the Eritrea map printed on them.

Why are festivals for a dictator allowed to be held in Switzerland?
The festivals are disguised as “cultural festivals” or “generational festivals”. In reality, these are propaganda events where money is collected for the dictator, says Annelies Müller. Organizers tried unsuccessfully to hold the festival in several locations this year. Most recently on Saturday afternoon in Oberuzwil SG, where the event was canceled in the middle for security reasons. “The regime friends are perfidious, they try to sneak in everywhere,” says Müller.

Can’t these events be banned?
Veronica Almedom, Eritrea activist, herself a native of Eritrean and new Green National Council candidate (GE), sees one possibility: Because the festivals promote violence and hatred, the authorities could officially stop them.

Veronica Almedom, a native Eritrean, activist and Green National Council candidate, believes that there are reasons to ban the events organized by regime supporters. 
“Because they promote violence and hatred.”

What can Switzerland do?
Green National Councilor Nicolas Walder (GE) wants to bring the issue to the Foreign Policy Commission on Tuesday, as he said when asked by 20 Minutes. Several questions arose: Who were the people in Opfikon on Saturday evening? What role did the Eritrean Consulate play in organizing the festival and were Eritrean officials present on Saturday evening? We should also consider banning the festivals for security reasons and also because they serve as propaganda for a dictatorial regime. 

Annelies Müller says: “The machinations of autocratic regimes with a larger diaspora of refugees must be better monitored in Switzerland.” 

The opposition warned the authorities comprehensively – in vain.