NGOs highlight plight of illegal immigrants
Non-governmental organisations and centre-left parties have launched a petition aimed at improving the status of illegal immigrants.
The alliance described Switzerland’s existing immigration and asylum policies as hypocritical, contradictory and absurd.
“The immigrants are used in the labour force but they are denied basic rights,” a statement said.
Some improvements for illegal immigrants have been achieved over the past decade, but the fundamental problems remain, according to the campaigners.
The alliance, formed to mark the tenth anniversary of the fight for those without legal papers, or "sans papiers", said it hoped to raise public awareness of the plight of around 100,000 illegal immigrants.
The campaign which is to culminate in a major demonstration in autumn includes street festivals and “actions of civil disobedience”.
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