Pioneering course helps refugees integrate

In canton Lucerne a pilot project is building new opportunities for refugees who have been granted asylum in Switzerland. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

Sursee in canton Lucerne is breaking new ground in terms of integration. In collaboration with the Sursee Bricklayers Association, the canton is promoting “Perspective Building”, a pilot project for the integration of refugees who have been granted asylum in Switzerland.

Thirteen people from Eritrea, Togo, Syria and Afghanistan are being trained to become skilled masons. They sought refuge in Switzerland as they faced persecution in their home countries.

One of the members of the group is Jean-Paul from Togo, who sees an opportunity through this vocational training to achieve a lifetime ambition of becoming a civil engineer.

People who seek asylum in Switzerland do so because they run the risk of being persecuted or deprived of their freedom in their country of origin for reasons of race, religion or nationality and for their political views and affiliations.