Eritrea seizes control of Swiss-funded vocational centre
The Eritrean government has taken control of a vocational education centre that was run by an Italian Catholic order and sponsored by Swiss development funds.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Eritrea toma el control de centro escolar financiado por Suiza
Swiss public broadcaster SRF reportsExternal link that the facility in Dekemhare was nationalised as part of a drive in the East African country to create a purely secular educational system.
Don Bosco Catholic monks have been told to leave the project, which trains around 400 students in trades such as brick laying, bakery and carpentry.
Switzerland had supported the project with CHF1.3 million ($1.36 million) in development aid.
It is unclear whether the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) funding for vocational education in Eritrea, which was expanded in 2020 from an initial CHF4 million to an additional CHF6 million, will continue.
Three years’ ago, a Norwegian vocational training project in Eritrea, which was supported by Switzerland, also had to close, reports SRF.
Switzerland’s policy of providing development aid to Eritrea has now come into question. Parliament had approved the funding seven years’ ago, hoping it help negotiations with the Eritrean government on taking back failed asylum seekers.
Development funding has not been a waste of money, SDC Horn of Africa specialist Esther Keimer told SRF. “These projects have opened doors for us in Eritrea,” she said.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
Swiss to vote on pension reform and biodiversity in September
This content was published on
Swiss citizens will vote on occupational pension schemes and a biodiversity initiative on September 22, the Federal Council announced on Wednesday.
Ukraine peace talks: 50 countries have confirmed participation
This content was published on
To date, 50 countries out 160 invited delegations have confirmed they will attend the Ukraine peace conference, held in central Switzerland in mid-June, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
Federer-backed On boosts forecast after sneaker demand rises
This content was published on
Swiss footwear company On Holding AG posted strong first-quarter revenue, boosted by demand for its running shoes and new line of training apparel.
Michael Schumacher’s watches fetch CHF4 million at Swiss auction
This content was published on
Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for around CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction house Christie's in Geneva on Tuesday.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
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
Switzerland rejects Eritrean asylum seekers after parliament review
This content was published on
The move comes after a decision by Federal Administrative Court in 2017 allow in principle the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers. A year later, the Swiss parliament passed a motion calling on the government to look into cases from Eritrea. A report on the findings was approved by the government on Friday. “It concerned people who…
This content was published on
Veronica Almedom, who arrived in Switzerland from Eritrea as a baby, is now a member of the Federal Commission on Migration.
This content was published on
Escaping one of the world’s most repressive regimes, Eritreans are fleeing the Horn of Africa in droves. Some 3,356 applied for asylum in Switzerland in 2011, making them the largest group of asylum seekers. The high numbers of Eritreans contributed to a 45 per cent increase in asylum applications in Switzerland last year – up…
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.