Switzerland has 'revised' its immigration policy for Tibetan refugees, requiring them to change their nationality to Chinese, a move to improve Bern's relationship with China.

The recent initiative made it difficult for Switzerland's "Tibetans-in-exile" community to acquire official identification after the new immigration policy took effect last July, state-run Global Times reported. As a result, approval rate for asylum seekers from Tibet plunged to 50.2 percent in November, down from the 65 to 85 percent rate in 2015.

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Before the rule, Tibetans were allowed to identify themselves as the citizens of "Tibet" or "Stateless."

Switzerland has over 4,000 Tibets and hosts the biggest "Tibetans-in-exile" group in Europe. It is also the major base of Tibetan separatists on the continent.  

Having a high profile as a human right advocate, Switzerland has been accepting "Tibetans-in-exile" after China seized Tibet in 1951. However, some European nations including Switzerland have recently been reviewing their human right defenders role on the refugee crisis.

According to the Global Times, Switzerland's denial to recognize the "Tibet" nationality has "no doubt dealt a blow" not only to Tibetan separatists but also to the "government-in-exile" spearheaded by the 14th Dalai Lama. The move also comes as a result of the positive Sino-Swiss diplomatic cooperation, with the report saying that Switzerland must have realized that cooperating with China, instead of supporting Tibetan separatists, would gain a strong bilateral relationship.

Meanwhile, the report also urged China to seek other solutions while making efforts to integrate China's minority groups better, noting that Tibet question would not disappear together with the Dalai Lama's demise.

TagsSwitzerland, china, Tibet refugees, Dalai Lama