The new justice minister, Simonetta Sommaruga, wants to see integration measures for immigrants made mandatory.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
In an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, the recently-elected cabinet minister from the centre-left Social Democratic Party said the approval or extension of residency permits should be closely linked to the efforts immigrants make to integrate themselves.
“Compulsory schooling must be respected. Children should attend all courses and exceptions made on religious or other grounds, for example in swimming classes, should no longer be possible,” Sommaruga told the SonntagsZeitung.
“The approval or extension of residency permits or the withdrawal of this right for anyone in violation of the integration rules is not only a way to apply pressure but is also in the interest of one and all,” the justice minister said. “Everyone living here should be able to stand on their own two feet.”
Sommaruga said it would be possible to implement the stricter requirements as part of a proposal the government has put forward to counter a plan by rightwing parties to automatically deport foreigners convicted of crimes. The issue comes to a nationwide vote on November 28.
Her support of the counter proposal, which restricts deportation to cases involving the most serious crimes, has put her at odds with her own party.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Reshuffle of Swiss cabinet gets bad press
This content was published on
Most newspapers are highly critical of the decision to snub the centre-left and the rightwing parties in the reshuffle involving four of the seven ministries. The mass-circulation Blick and the prestigious Neue Zürcher Zeitung describe the reorganisation as a “false start” for the new cabinet “The cabinet is backing one member at the expense of…
This content was published on
In the first of Wednesday’s two cabinet appointments, Sommaruga from the centre-left Social Democratic Party replaced party colleague Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger. Two hours later, parliamentarians voted, also by secret ballot, to replace Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz from the centre-right Radical Party with party colleague Schneider-Ammann. The cabinet’s political make-up thus stayed the same. Both…
This content was published on
The rightwing Swiss People’s Party collected more than 210,000 signatures – double the number needed – to bring the issue of the mandatory deportation of convicted criminals without Swiss citizenship to a nationwide vote. If one believes the polls taken before the campaign started – and bear in mind that the polls got it spectacularly…
This content was published on
Senior representatives of the initiative by the rightwing Swiss People’s Party; Christoph Blocher, and of parliament’s counter-proposal, Fulvio Pelli, were preaching to a 450-strong audience of the converted at Geneva University on Tuesday. Strangely enough, there was no-one taking part in the panel standing for those who reject both projects, notably the political centre-left. “Why…
This content was published on
However, unions say that the study, which shows the new breed of highly skilled immigrant employees bringing net gains to Zurich and eastern Switzerland, only paints part of the picture. The Immigration 2030 report by the Zurich Cantonal Bank paints a generally positive picture of migrant employees since Switzerland lifted barriers to European Union workers…
This content was published on
On Tuesday the Senate passed a motion calling on the government to allow such children who have been through the Swiss school system to take up an apprenticeship after they leave school. The House of Representatives backed it in March. At present children of sans papiers can attend school until the minimum school leaving age…
This content was published on
A new book, Galicians in Switzerland, shows the lives of Spanish immigrants who have traded the northwestern region of Galicia for Switzerland over the past 50 years. In doing so, they escaped poverty as well as the Spanish dictatorship. (All photos from the collection of Xurxo Martinez Crespo)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.