سوئٹرزلینڈ فورم < Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??

  • جائیں اس یوزر کےRoger B's پروفائل پر

    Hello

    پوسٹڈ بايئ  Roger B انرر سوئٹرزلینڈ فورم 

    Guess that's right for someone from Mauritius... Majority Hindu, isn't it?

    The (somewhat funny) conversation of yours about Switzerland and whether this place is friendly towards others kind of drag me back into this. As a native Swiss, I can't help but see some merit in both points of view.

    If you are constantly complaining, well, maybe it'd be a better choice to rest your case and settle somewhere new. I guess as foreigner you won't be able to change the Swiss, constant complaint about their reserved, awkward and "xenophobic" nature won't be of much help in this endeavour either... so why bother staying here? (that would be Maria's point)

    Which brings me to Daniel's point. The Swiss are an utterly complicated, utterly reserved people. There are a lot of "hidden" customs of sorts (i.e. things people just expect from you or what they expect you not to do) you won't get to know except if you act against them. Worse to this, it even depends on where in Switzerland you are (that's sth even I had to learn - Switzerland is complex).

    So while we are rather reserved, keen on privacy and therefore often perceived as cold, the "nativist" part, though certainly present from time being, has taken a notable uptick during the last couple of years (by the way, I think rather then xenophobic I'd rather see the tendencies as "nativist"... might be semantics of sort, but I think it shows better where the issue has its roots). Though, this needs to be put into context and judged what is happening around Europe, I think this is not an isolated phenomenon (or else see the success of right wing / nativist parties such as the Front National, Vlaams-Belang, Popolo della liberta, BNP, PVV). As I have put forth at another stage, I perceive our "nativists" to be rather modest in their views compared to some of the examples just mentioned but showings for them is more imminent as we get to vote far more often than anyone else in Europe (think of voting at least 4-times a year).

    While "nativism" is something on the rise in Europe, Switzerland might certainly have its own specialty. While the other Europeans are mostly geared towards immigration from outside Europe, the Swiss are, and that might come as a surprise, more concerned about immigration from neighbouring countries. That brings with it a worry about jobs, flats, transportation and culture. If you see the statistics, Switzerland has had a net-immigration of around 360'000 over the last five years (that's roughly 5% of the population), this to a country that has a non-swiss proportion of nearly 20% and an additional 10% of foreign-born Citizens (pushes up the tally to 30% - though for me it's 20%). With these proportions, I don't think it's so surprising there is resentment

    The issues have increased mainly because, due to our EU-alignment, we're now part of the EU free-movement of people. That, by the way, is also something I personally don't like. I think the state should at least have a modicum of control about whose settling and looking for work here. To be plain, I'd be very much in favor of altering the current system of no-control to a system akin to the one of Australia. Is it really a good sign for a country if you have colonies of well-earning, well-educated foreigners, living detached from the hosts, not being interested in the said country except for its tax rules and jobs (and not being interested in the culture/politics/heritage of the host country as long as they have their colony)? Is it a good sign if almost each company in Zug sports a CFO from the UK or a CEO from Germany? Are we certain, as companies quickly affirm, that they couldn't find suitable Swiss? Sure, the country profits handsomly fiscally, but it's not always just the economy stupid. If you sense that the people feel threatened, that there is a problem and that unpleasent and ugly opinions are taking hold, politics should act and not just gloss over the, be they justified or not, worries of the population.

    The Swiss have a problem with immigration. It's just too much currently, they are affraid people flooding in the country (and 5% over 5 years is very significant) could take away jobs, flats (which is, depending on place, a huge problem) and stretch the infrastructure to the point. Therefore there is a reaction - a sometimes ugly one I might ad. You probably have noticed that I count myself among those worried about the current state. However, I don't hold a grudge against the immigrants themselves, Switzerland offers a lot of opportunity (economic, fiscal, cultural) and I can understand anyone wanting to come here. However what I have a problem with, is that currently the pace of immigration is too much, too many people comming in and a nagging sense of selling your country out. Finally, The politicans don't have the guts to admit that there are problems (except for the right wingers).

    That's the way I see it

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