Di, Apr 12th 2022
Climate protestors disrupt Switzerland’s morning commute, country sanctions Russia further and more in our roundup of Swiss news from April 8 – 12.
Ukrainian refugees have been among the first people to receive Switzerland’s new S permit.
Switzerland to accept more war refugees
Swiss justice minister Karin Keller-Sutter announced this week that Switzerland has not set a cap on the number of Ukrainian refugees coming into the country. About 28,000 have already arrived in Switzerland; 23,000 of which have been granted special S permits to live and work in the country for at least one year. The secretary of migration acknowledged that although registering and housing roughly 1,000 refugees a day since mid-March has been a “very complex” process, the country cannot “turn away women and children at the border.” Mehr lesen.
Climate activists shut down traffic in Lausanne
Police this week had to remove protestors from blocking morning rush hour commuters from a busy highway exit in Lausanne. Protestors sat on the highway holding signs reading “Renovate Switzerland” – the name of a global civil resistance movement calling for the energy-efficient renovation of millions of buildings and homes by 2040. The activists say that their plan “will have the effect of drastically reducing CO2 emissions, reducing our energy dependence on foreign countries, and halving energy bills.” Mehr lesen.
Switzerland limits Russia’s access to tech
Switzerland joined a global group of 37 countries this week to limit Russia’s access to technology in an effort to handicap Russian President Vladmir Putin’s ability to wage war. The effort is part of a broader strategy to cut off Russia’s access to defense, nautical and aerospace products and technology. Experts say that sanctions so far are having a crippling effect on Russia’s economy, but now countries must focus on their defense sector. Mehr lesen.
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