Geneva, Zurich and Basel-City are calling for an increase in the annual work visa quotas granted by the federal government in Bern. These cantons have already exhausted the number of permits they were granted for the year. The cantons argue that they need foreign workers and the visa cap is limiting economic growth. The visa […]
Swiss feel threatened by Islam, according to survey
A survey conducted by SonntagsBlick reveals a rising fear of Islam in Switzerland. 38% of the 1,003 people surveyed say they feel threatened by Muslims in Switzerland. This percentage is more than double the 16% recorded in a similar survey in 2004. Önder Günes, a spokesperson for the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland, told Blick […]
Swiss commune fighting to have accused hate preacher expelled
20 Minutes. According to reports in the Tages-Anzeiger and by Swiss broadcaster SRF, the Swiss commune of Nidau wants the canton of Bern to expel a Libyan imam who has preached hate. The preacher has reportedly called for the destruction of all enemies of islam, including christians, jews, hindus, Russians and shiites. The man arrived in […]
At least one catalan terror suspect spent time in Switzerland
Le Matin. According to Tages-Anzeiger, at least one of two of the suspects in the recent Spanish terrorist attacks, Mohamed Hychami and Younes Abouyaaqoub, spent time in Zurich in 2016. Fedpol, Switzerland’s federal police, confirmed this information, which was published by Spanish media. Polizeiaktion in Barcelona: Mann mit Sprengstoffweste niedergeschossen. https://t.co/jzMYtg1Kzy — Tages-Anzeiger (@tagesanzeiger) August […]
Halal and kosher meat might fall under proposed Swiss animal cruelty import restrictions
20 Minutes. A motion adopted by Switzerland’s parliament on 7 June 2017 proposes halting the import the meat of mistreated animals. The work of Matthias Aebischer, a socialist member from the canton of Bern, was originally focused on foie gras, frogs legs and fur, but there are now suggestions his motion might include animals slaughtered […]
Median Swiss salaries by occupation, region, gender and immigration status
If you have ever wondered how much employees in Switzerland get paid you can check with the online tool Salarium, created by the Swiss government. The information is compiled from a database of numbers from a salary survey done in 2014. After entering five required bits of information: region, business sector, occupation, professional position and working hours, the […]
Survey shows how foreigners feel about Switzerland
How foreigners feel about Switzerland depends largely on where they come from and why they came, according to survey due for release next year. The survey, entitled ‘On the Move‘, questions seven groups: Germans, Austrians, French, Italians, British, Spaniards, Portuguese, North Americans, Indians, West Africans and South Americans. For 53% of foreigners, Switzerland is the […]
Another Swiss citizenship application rejected in vote in small town in Aargau
In Switzerland, citizenship applications can be rejected by town councils if the applicant is not deemed to be fully integrated. In large communes (French) or Gemeinde (German), such as big cities, the process is quite administrative. You sit tests and if you pass you get a green light. In some small towns however decisions can become […]
Foreigners more likely to be working than Swiss
Statistics released today show that at the end of 2016 there were 5.0 million people working in Switzerland out of a population of 8.4 million, an activity rate of 58.4%, or 68.6% if those under 15 are excluded – the activity rate is the percentage of a population working full time. Of those not working […]
Still problems with forced deportation in Switzerland
20 Minutes. The Swiss government recently released a report on the forced repatriation of foreigners. The document sets out problems with the process, in particular the use of balaclavas and guns by the police, the way deportees are restrained, and the separation of families. The national commission for the prevention of torture, the commission behind the report focused […]
