Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Religious minority groups to be granted better protection

Two men working outside a mosque
Synagogues and mosques have become targets of attacks by extremists over the past few years. Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi

The government has decided to boost financial support to protect Jewish and Muslim minorities in Switzerland.

For the next four years, the government has earmarked CHF2.5 million ($2.7 million) annually to be spent on technical and construction measures at buildings, including synagogues and mosques, the Federal Police Office said on Wednesday.

This is an increase of CHF500,000 annually, but it is likely to be cut again from 2028.

It is hoped that most of the buildings at risk of an attack will be better protected by then, a statementExternal link said.

The government says the current funding, introduced two years ago, is not sufficient and several requests for additional financial help had to be turned down.

The threat of attacks by extremists and terrorist groups against Jewish and Muslim institutions has grown over the past few years, according to the Federal Intelligence Service.

Earlier this year, Jewish organisations expressed concern about rising anti-Semitism in Switzerland during the Covid pandemic.

Most Read
Swiss Abroad

Most Discussed

News

No Swiss bank in phase with environmental objectives

More

Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF

This content was published on None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.

Read more: Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF
UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR