A group of Yenish travellers has been occupying a municipal site in Thônex, canton Geneva, without permission since Sunday. The local authorities say they will file criminal charges.
The situation, revealed by Le Temps newspaper on Monday, reflects the disarray felt by Swiss travellers at the lack of suitable sites for nomadic living.
“We have nothing in Geneva, even though it’s one of the richest cantons in Switzerland and a city that bills itself as the capital of human rights,” Stève Gerzner, the community’s representative, told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-ATS.
Around 20 families have taken up residence in a park in Thônex, near the French border. The 20-30 caravans are parked practically under the windows of the town hall. The Yenish say they are prepared to stay as long as it takes to jolt the authorities into action. They hope to obtain more transit sites equipped with access to water and electricity.
“It’s in the law,” Gerzner said. The Yenish are recognised as a minority and Switzerland must make it easier for them to practise their nomadic cultural life, he said, adding that the Yenish had made numerous requests to the local authorities for plots but had been repeatedly turned down.
“We’re bounced from one department to another, told that the land is being used for events,” Gerzner said. “In reality, they don’t want us”. He pointed out that the Yenish don’t ask to stay in one place for months on end – they move every two to three weeks.
Once they have settled, they make a living doing all sorts of jobs, from building to recycling. According to Gerzner, their arrival costs nothing. “We pay for the electricity and water and cover our costs,” he said. They also leave the sites clean, he added, explaining that at Thônex they have installed a skip for their rubbish and lavatories.