The Swiss Minister of Justice Simonetta Sommaruga said it in clear words earlier this year at the asylum symposium: The economy hires tens of thousands of foreign workers every year, even though there are thousands of refugees in our own country capable of working. "There's something wrong here!" the minister said.
It is absolutely important that the Swiss economy starts thinking about how the potential of immigrants as workers can be better utilized - especially since the tight 'yes' to the 'initiative against mass immigration’ in February 2014. Considering refugees is also useful, and not just for economic reasons. With the refugee crisis, integration, or at least an attempt thereto becomes increasingly important, also to reduce fears and prejudice.
Ali Abdirisaq from Somalia was one of the refugees who worked in the first year pilot project at a Swiss company. (Photo: Jeanne Woodtli)
Someone taking a step in this direction is organic grower Markus Ramser from Illhart. Markus hired a 28-year-old Eritrean as part of the pilot project for the integration of refugees in agriculture. Markus immediately had to endure comments like "Look out, he’ll shoot you one day". Such comments are shameless on the one hand and on the other hand attest to a fear of the unknown, fear of a different skin color.
Markus has had only good experiences with his co-worker. The young man is so motivated and dutiful that he can now apprentice himself in the agricultural sector. A good example of successful integration and a sign that it pays to be brave and give one refugee a chance.
After the first year of the pilot project of the 'Schweizer Bauernverband' and the State Secretariat for Migration, however, it has been shown that not all that glitters is gold. It is not only difficult to find companies that want to take a refugee with a residence permit or provisional residence permit, but it's also not easy to find refugees who want to work in agriculture.
The skepticism towards agriculture may have a cultural background: where the refugees come from, farmers usually belong to the poorest people. At the same time there are also barely any native Swiss who want to do this heavy physical work. In addition, the prospect of working at a remote company without people of their own nationality may also be unattractive. Not only the Swiss are afraid of the strange and unknown.
Collaboration was not successful in all cases. In three cases cooperation was prematurely aborted. On the other hand, three refugees retained their jobs after the accorded time period, which is promising.
The pilot project is sometimes accused of just being a drop in the ocean. 15 refugees placed per year may not be much, but the project is a good thing. Any refugee who can be financially independent in Switzerland is good for the country and the state treasury. The project also gives off a signal. More cantons have already been inspired by it and have developed their own projects. More such initiatives will follow.
It is also good for the image of agriculture to set a good example and perhaps inspire other sectors to similar projects. This way agriculture shows itself as a modern and internationally oriented sector.
Auch aus einzelnen Tropfen wird irgendwann ein See
In der Analyse schreiben Redaktionsmitglieder über Themen, die sie beschäftigen. Diesmal Stv. Chefredaktorin Jeanne Woodtli über das Pilotprojekt, welches das Potenzial von Flüchtlingen als Arbeitskräfte in der Landwirtschaft abklären soll.