Zurich politicians seek to impose an ‘integration contract’ on migrants; and more news from Switzerland in our roundup on Thursday.
Migrants in Zurich will have to sign an integration contract in the future
In a motion submitted to the cantonal parliament, several parties are demanding that refugees coming to Zurich be required to sign an integration contract .
The contract would require these migrants to commit to various fundamental principles of Swiss society, such as equal rights for men and women, as well as the principle that law prevails over religion.
Furthermore, learning German would be mandatory.
Such integration agreements are already provided for in the Aliens Act and are used when granting or extending residence permits.
Sanctions for non-compliance with the rules have yet to be developed, but financial losses or withdrawal of the right of residence are conceivable.
Fruits and vegetables sold in Switzerland are contaminated by tyre additives
Traces of additives typically used in tyre manufacturing have been detected in all categories of fruits and vegetables most commonly consumed in Switzerland.
This is what emerges from a study carried out jointly by Federal Polytechnic Institute in Lausanne (EPFL) and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO),
It found that these foods are exposed to chemicals in types comes from their use on the road.
Tyres typically contain additives to ensure the rubber’s grip, elasticity, and strength, the toxicity of which is still unknown.
These particles spread through the atmosphere, settle on the ground, or are carried by runoff water.
Fruits and vegetables absorb these particles, which then pass on to humans through food ingestion.
Scientists are currently unaware of the long-term consequences of this exposure on human health.
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Switzerland has another chance to plead against US tariffs
In April, Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter spoke on the telephone to US president Donald Trump, asking him to reconsider imposing 31-percent trade tariffs on Switzerland.
She will have another chance to do so this weekend — this time, right here on Swiss soil.
That’s because the US Secretary of the Treasury Scott K.H. Bessent will arrive in Geneva sometime today to meet on the neutral (literally and figuratively) territory with a Chinese delegation.
The primary goal of this meeting is to resolve the US-imposed trade war between the two countries.
But Bessent will also meet with Keller-Sutter, when the Swiss government is hoping to make further progress toward minimising tariffs which Washington could still levy on Switzerland.
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