Special protection needs: fedpol protects minorities

The safety of minorities with special protection needs is being improved. Since 2020 fedpol has supported a range of organisations and communities requiring special protection. Minorities are groups of persons who differ from the main population for instance in their way of life, culture, religion, tradition, language or sexual orientation. Such groups require special protection if their safety is threatened by terrorism or violent extremism.  

For 2021 fedpol has approved seven requests for added protection amounting to nearly CHF 500,000. The supported measures focus on improving structural and technical safeguards in the event of a terrorist attack or one motivated by violent extremism, on better training to identify risks and improving threat management. Further measures include raising awareness of the dangers and improving the availability of information.

Fedpol made its first payment of around CHF 500,000 at the end of July 2020 to 11 organisations that met the criteria of the Ordinance on Measures to Support Minorities with Special Protection Needs (VSMS). Requests for support are considered by a support group from fedpol.

List of the seven approved requests 2021

Five organisations receive a grant to support measures aimed at strengthening structural and technical protection measures in the event of a terrorist or violent extremist attack:

Communauté Israelite de Genève, community centre, Geneva

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of the grant to be awarded: CHF 99,900.00

Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of financial aid to be granted: CHF 199'500.00

Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of financial aid to be granted: CHF 45,000.00

Jüdische Gemeinde Agudas Achim Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of the grant to be awarded: CHF 86'000.00

Talmud Toire Primarschule Zürich, school, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of the grant to be awarded: CHF 20'584.00

Two organisations receive a grant to support training that will enable risk identification and strengthen threat prevention:

Communauté Israélite de Lausanne et du Canton de Vaud

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of the grant to be awarded: CHF 8,476.50

Federation of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland

• Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
• Amount of the grant to be awarded: CHF 40'000.00

List of the 11 approved requests 2020

For all 11 organisations the supported measures focus on improving structural and technical safeguards in the event of a terrorist attack or one motivated by violent extremism.

Communauté Israelite de Genève, school, Veyrier

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 70,000.00

Communauté Israélite de Lausanne et du Canton de Vaud, synagogue and community centre, Lausanne

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 49,100.00

Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Baden, synagogue, Baden

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 36,100.00

Israelitische Gemeinde Winterthur, synagogue, Winterthur

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 13,500.00

Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 12,697.00

Jüdische Gemeinde Agudas Achim Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 125,000.00

Jüdische Gemeinde Bern, synagogue, Bern

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 27,255.00

Jüdische Gemeinde Biel, synagogue, Biel

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 3,750.00

Jüdischer Schulverein Zürich, school, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 60,000.00

Tif'eres Doniel Primar- und Sekundarschule Zürich, school, Zurich

• Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 58,469.00

Eyup Sultan Mescidi Lausanne, mosque, Lausanne

• Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
  
• Amount of the financial aid: CHF 40,000.00

• Verordnung über die Massnahmen zur Unterstützung der Sicherheit von Minderheiten mit besonderen Schutzbedürfnissen (VSMS)
• Ordonnance sur les mesures visant à promouvoir la sécurité des minorités ayant un besoin de protection particulier

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Last modification 29.01.2021