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Uighurs adjusting to new life in Switzerland

Two former detainees held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp are said to be adjusting to their new lives in western Switzerland.

The authorities in canton Jura said the brothers, ethnic Uighurs from China, are slowly becoming acclimatised, even if they are still traumatised.

At a news conference in Delémont on Monday, officials said the brothers were grateful to everyone near and far who had helped and supported them.

The two Uighurs arrived in canton Jura on March 23 with one living in the town of Delémont and the other in Courroux. They were admitted to Switzerland on humanitarian grounds.

At the moment, the brothers are devoting most of their time to learning French, according to a cantonal government spokesman. “They would like to learn faster,” he said, adding that they were eager to get a job and start working.

The federal government has agreed to cover their expenses until they are financially independent.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR