Sunday, June 23, 2024
Published: Sunday, Jun 23rd 2024, 05:20
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Rejected asylum seekers who remain in Switzerland, a working group to defuse conflicts among Eritreans in Switzerland and a change of strategy by Migros: this and more can be found in the Sunday newspapers. The headlines in unverified reports:
"NZZ am Sonntag":
Many refugees have remained in Switzerland despite having their right of asylum revoked. 62% of the 924 people who had their right to asylum revoked between 2019 and 2023 remained in Switzerland, according to an analysis by the State Secretariat for Migration for the NZZ am Sonntag. People from Eritrea had the highest number of withdrawals. Switzerland is not allowed to return anyone from there. The federal government also sanctioned refugees from Bosnia, Vietnam, Iran, Turkey and Iraq. The main reason for the revocation procedures was that they had been banned from traveling home. 38 percent of these people have been living in Switzerland for a long time. Their cantonal residence permit would also have to be revoked for them to be deported.
"SonntagsBlick":
The federal government wants to send a liaison officer to Africa again for talks with Eritrea. She is to persuade Eritrea to take back rejected asylum seekers, as the State Secretary for Migration, Christine Schraner Burgener, told "SonntagsBlick". The person will be stationed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and will be regularly on site in Eritrea. The post was previously stationed in Sudan and was disbanded after the outbreak of war there. A transit agreement with a third country would not change the fact that Eritrea does not take back citizens rejected from any country, said Schraner Burgener. However, the State Secretariat for Migration would examine the political demand in the same way as the outsourcing of asylum procedures to third countries.
"SonntagsBlick":
The federal government has set up a working group to defuse the conflicts between Eritreans. The "Eritrea Strategic Support Group" is tasked with coordinating measures "to safeguard public security", as SonntagsBlick wrote. It will meet for the first time in July with the involvement of all state actors. The measures envisage a mixture of prevention and repression, insiders told the newspaper. The task force is based at the Swiss Security Association (SVS). It will meet for the first time in July. The SVS is aiming for a round table with representatives of the rival groups. Nothing has been decided yet, said Martin von Muralt, SVS delegate and head of the task force.
"SonntagsZeitung":
Migros wants to become cheaper with its own brands and smaller stores. The expansion of own brands is a "blatant break" with the previous strategy, as Migros CEO Mario Irminger said in an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. Until now, Migros has also relied on more expensive branded products. Popular branded items are undisputed and will continue to be offered. Migros will remove less popular branded items from its range. It is not yet clear which ones. In addition, there will be more smaller stores in future instead of large branches. Regarding the reduction of 1500 jobs, he said: "There will no longer be such large job cuts." However, job cuts on a smaller scale are possible.
"SonntagsZeitung":
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has outlined the consequences of a two billion Swiss franc savings package on development aid. It expects a withdrawal from four to five crisis regions, as the SonntagsZeitung wrote based on a fact sheet from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. These include Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Sudan. Support for the refugee organization UNHCR could also be affected. The greatest savings would be made in development cooperation. A cut of CHF 1.2 billion would result in a withdrawal from around 6 to 8 of the 34 priority countries. Funds for the children's aid organization Unicef would also be a possible saving.
"SonntagsZeitung":
In extreme cases, potential gambling addicts can gamble five-figure sums per casino visit before being banned. The federal government examined this practice and approved it, as the SonntagsZeitung wrote after reviewing internal documents. Addiction experts criticized the sometimes high limits. Casinos are legally obliged to take "appropriate measures" against gambling addiction and excessive gambling, the newspaper wrote. The measures vary depending on the provider. One provider already reacts if a person loses several thousand francs within six months. Gerhard Pfister, President of the Casino Association, spoke out in favor of uniform protection practices for online casinos. The association will analyze the "SonntagsZeitung" investigation.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
The pharmaceutical companies based in Switzerland have made further job cuts. There have been redundancies at Roche's research center in Schlieren ZH, as the company confirmed in response to an inquiry from the "NZZ am Sonntag". The company spoke of a selective reduction in the area of pharmaceutical research and early development. Novartis is also not ruling out job cuts. Pfizer has already cut 23 jobs in Zurich and, according to the newspaper, a further 90 employees at the Pfizer subsidiary Seagen are facing redundancy. Following the consultation process with employees, Takeda announced that it would be cutting 120 jobs in Opfikon ZH.
"SonntagsBlick":
Due to the closed A13 highway, Thierry Burkart, President of the Swiss Truck Association, has warned of a supply bottleneck in eastern Switzerland. Burkart, Central President of the Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association (Astag), demanded "good traffic management" from the Federal Roads Office (Astra), as SonntagsBlick wrote. The A13 accounts for 14 percent of all transit journeys per year. According to the Astra, it is unclear how long the north-south link will be impassable after a landslide. In the next few days, the SBB wants to examine whether rail traffic on the Gotthard should be increased for the summer vacations.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
The USA may suspend or delay the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Switzerland in the event of compelling circumstances. The corresponding emergency clause is standard in US arms contracts, as the "NZZ am Sonntag" wrote. The clause was used for the first time this week for the delivery of Patriot missiles. The question of whether the delivery of the fighter jets will be delayed is hypothetical, the Federal Office of Armaments (Armasuisse) wrote to the newspaper. The Federal Council is aware of the risk of a neutral state being accorded less importance, according to a recently published report.
"Le Matin Dimanche":
The Albanian mafia has made Geneva its retreat. Geneva is a hub for heroin in western Switzerland, as Frédéric Kuhne, deputy head of the Geneva drugs brigade, told "Le Matin Dimanche". Other cantons and neighboring France, for example, were used for storage. The structures of the mafia are "dense, almost impenetrable", said Stéphane Quéré, who co-authored a book on Albanian organized crime. In Switzerland, Kosovo Albanians encountered a culture that was so alien to their own that they rebuilt their original society with extended families and clans, said Quéré.
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