The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Inside Geneva: What’s our problem with immigration?

Logo of podcast
SWI swissinfo.ch

On Inside Geneva this week, we unpick the divisive topic of migration and asylum. Why are some countries closing their doors?

“In Europe we are seeing one country after another erect barbed wire around their country and around a continent,” says Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

When does restricting immigration turn into human rights violation?

“We believe it’s within the rights of any government to set immigration policies that they believe make sense for their country and electorate. But setting lawful immigration policies does not mean that you have the right to mistreat migrants,” says Philippe Bolopion, executive director at Human Rights Watch.

Is immigration really a threat to our jobs or services?

“Overall, most studies are clear that migrant workers are not in competition with national workers in the labour market. […] In Western countries, the medical sector depends on migrant workers,” says Vincent Chetail from the Global Migration Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

Why are some of us so angry about immigration?

“We are reaching a peak in violent anti‑migrant rhetoric, which has nothing to do with reality,” continues Chetail.

Many countries are cutting foreign aid and limiting immigration. A recipe for disaster?

 “If you want to live in a stable world without uncontrolled migration, pandemics and insecurity, then you invest in hope for people who have been displaced,” says Egeland.

Join host Imogen Foulkes on Inside Geneva for the full interview.

Find out more about the ‘Inside Geneva’ podcast and our other Swiss podcasts in English here.

Subscribe below to the ‘Inside Geneva’ newsletter to make sure you never miss a new episode.

External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Inside Geneva: international affairs from the world’s humanitarian capital

Our newsletter offers a unique insight into what is happening in International Geneva: What debates are taking center stage? How can the UN impact world affairs and what are NGO’s saying?

Bi-monthly

The SBC Privacy Policy provides additional information on how your data is processed.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

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

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