The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said it regretted that Switzerland voted on Sunday to back new "restrictive" asylum laws, Reuters reported. UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said the agency would follow closely the actions of the Swiss government to ensure that treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees stayed in line with international rules. "The UNHCR takes note and regrets that this new restrictive legislation is being adopted," the spokesman said after projections showed some 70 of percent of Swiss voters had backed the law change in a referendum on Sunday. The U.N. agency had long expressed concern about a requirement in the new law that would-be asylum-seekers hold a valid passport. It says this could prevent genuine refugees from receiving help. "People who are trying to escape violence and persecution often do not have documents," Spindler said. The Swiss government, which backed the change in the law, says the regulations strike a balance between protecting those in need and making it more difficult for the system to be abused.
