Sharp Increase in Ukrainian Youth Aged 18-22 Seeking Protection in Switzerland Following Exit Rule Changes
Since early September, Switzerland has seen a significant rise in the number of young Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 applying for temporary protection status S.
This surge correlates with Ukraine’s recent changes to border crossing regulations, permitting men in this age group to leave the country during the martial law period.
According to the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), the number of applications from this demographic spiked just days after the new rules took effect in August.
Initially, only three applications from young Ukrainian men were registered in late August, but over the following weeks, this number increased dramatically to 33, then 77, and eventually reached a peak of 185 applications by mid-October.
This pattern indicates a rapid response among young men seeking safety abroad, now constituting about 30% of all new protection requests.
Experts note that recent weeks show signs of stabilization, with declining application numbers suggesting the peak has passed.
Concurrently, the Ukrainian government’s policy shift allowed men aged 18-22 to exit the country, which was reflected in the border crossings.
Polish border authorities registered a surge in young Ukrainian arrivals—from around 20 per week in mid-August to over 1,000 in September, and further increasing to between 1,400 and 1,800 weekly entries in October.
These figures highlight the scale of migration and underline the ongoing need for international support and coordinated efforts to assist Ukrainian youth in this challenging period.