The Swiss Senate has once again voted against allocating extra funding for the construction of temporary accommodation to address the increasing number of refugees arriving in the country.

The government had initially requested CHF66.5 million ($73.7 million) to establish "container villages" on military land, which was already reduced by half from the original CHF132.9 million estimated for refugee housing.

While the House of Representatives had approved the original funding request, the Senate has consistently refused to endorse the allocation.

During the parliamentary debates, some politicians argued that there is sufficient available space to accommodate refugees without constructing new container villages.

In situations where the two parliamentary chambers fail to reach an agreement on funding matters, the decision that entails lesser public expenditure takes precedence.

In the previous year, Switzerland recorded 24,500 asylum-seekers, a 64% increase compared to the year before. This figure excludes approximately 75,000 Ukrainian refugees who were granted special protection status through an expedited registration process.

This year, refugee numbers are estimated to range between 27,000 and 40,000, further emphasizing the pressing need for adequate housing solutions. Photo by Flooffy, Wikimedia commons.