Government concedes there are some merits in the far-right’s proposal to curb immigration; Geneva announces security measures ahead of the G7 summit; and more Swiss news in our Friday roundup.
Government concedes there are some merits in the far-right’s proposal to curb immigration
In a well-balanced new report, the Federal Council outlines not only the downsides it sees in the ‘No to 10 million’ initiative, but positive impact as well.
Among the negative ones, it reiterates consequences such as labour shortages in some sectors, less money flowing into pension funds, as well as the end of the free movement of persons agreement between Switzerland and the EU.
As for the positive effect, it mentions availability of more housing, less pressure on environmental resources, and lower spending on social aid.
Geneva announces security measures ahead of the G7 summit
The summit will be held from June 15th to 17th in Evian, France, located only 45 km from the Swiss city.
As French activists are planning protests and demonstrations in Geneva, local authorities are putting, between June 12th and 18th, additional safety measures in place, including the closure of about small 30 border crossings.
The only access between Evian and Geneva during this time will be Anières, Moillesulaz, Thônex-Vallard, Bardonnex, Perly, Meyrin, and Ferney-Voltaire border crossings, where checks of passing vehicles will be more systematic.
Therefore, “significant delays are expected at rheseborders,” according to Carole-Anne Kast, head of Geneva’s security.
Rich versus poor: UN report highlights inequality in Swiss education system
While Switzerland is in the 5th place out of 37 countries ranked by UNICEF in terms of “overall child well-being,” the UN organisation also pointed out in its new report that “children’s educational opportunities in Switzerland are heavily dependent on their family background.”
“While the Swiss welfare state partially mitigates absolute poverty, unequal starting conditions persist.,” according to the report.
In international comparison, Switzerland ranks among the countries with particularly large performance gaps between privileged and disadvantaged children.
Concretely, “91 percent of young people from privileged households achieve basic skills. For disadvantaged young people, this figure is only 46 percent. Crucial factors include the parents’ level of education, and everyday support,” UNICEF said.
SWISS airline resumes flights to Tel Aviv
Starting on July 1st, the national airline will once again fly to and from Israel’s capital, resuming flights that were suspended in early March due to the war in Iran.
On the other hand, flights to Dubai and Beirut will remain suspended until and including September 13th, the airline announced this week.
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