Swiss Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter, head of the Justice and Police Department, reiterated the position of the Swiss confederation, which does not recognize the puppet entity of the Polisario.
In response to an oral question to the Swiss Federal Assembly, Keller-Sutter defended the merits of the Federal Court’s judgment rendered last August, which rejected the appeal filed by an individual challenging the decision of the Swiss authorities to refuse, when renewing their refugee permit, to include the mention “Western Sahara” under the heading “nationality”, noting that this judgment has made a necessary correction capable of guaranteeing the accuracy of the information contained in the System of central information on migration (SYMIC) and ensure that they correspond to the position defended by the Federal Government at the international level.
She underlined that this approach pursues an objective of general interest in connection with the coherence of Swiss foreign policy, specifying that this decision takes into account the fact that Switzerland does not recognize an entity under the name “Western Sahara”“. .
The Swiss Confederation, through the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), has repeatedly reiterated, and at different levels, that it supports the efforts of the United Nations and the central role they play in the process concerning the question of the Sahara.
Believing that only negotiations will lead to a political, just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, Switzerland stresses the importance of serious and credible efforts by Morocco aimed at a political solution based on compromise, while taking note, in this context, of the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
In addition, the FDFA specifies “that there is no official representation of the” polisario “with the United Nations Office in Geneva, nor with the Federal Council”.
