Switzerland allocates funds to support vocational training in Eritrea
Eritrea is one of the most common countries of origin for asylum seekers in Switzerland.
Keystone
Switzerland will support various projects in Eritrea in the field of vocational education and training with CHF6 million ($6 million) over the next three years.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ds
In addition, cooperation will be expanded to include economic development opportunities such as microcredit and support for the establishment of small businesses, the Swiss foreign ministry announced on Thursday.
The goal is “to strengthen the skills of young people from Eritrea in their country of origin in order to improve their prospects in life” and to boost “trust between the two governments and thus to expand the bilateral dialogue, especially on migration issues.”
The decision is in line with the recommendations of an external evaluation by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) following the first pilot phase for the resumption of development cooperation with Eritrea.
Following a fact-finding mission in 2017, the the humanitarian arm of the foreign affairs ministry gave priority to existing projects in the field of vocational training. Subsequently, three projects were supported over a period of two years with a total budget of CHF 4 million.
Switzerland is also mulling the appointment of a special envoy for the Horn of Africa with a regional mandate and a special focus on Eritrea. It will also boost its diplomatic presence in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to facilitate dialogue with the Eritrean atuhorities.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Prevention and tech could help save billions on Swiss healthcare costs, says Deloitte
This content was published on
By focusing on prevention and technology, it would be possible to reduce Switzerland's healthcare bill by CHF30 billion a year by 2040, according to Deloitte Switzerland.
Environment director warns of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland
This content was published on
The director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has warned of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland in an interview with SonntagsBlick on Sunday.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
This content was published on
The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
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
Swiss firms help build professional skills in Africa
This content was published on
The Swiss have made vocational training central to their diplomatic and business culture. This spells good news for the African continent.
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
By linking vocational education with innovation, Switzerland hopes to make apprenticeships an important component of India-Swiss bilateral cooperation.
Switzerland remains most attractive country for skilled workers
This content was published on
Switzerland continues to lead the world in talent competitiveness, having held the number one spot in an annual index since 2013.
Eritreans stuck in Switzerland lose faith in a better future
This content was published on
Thousands of failed asylum seekers cannot be sent back and refuse to return home voluntarily. Young Eritreans share their stories.
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.