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 organizations 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 2023, fedpol has approved 34 requests for added protection amounting to nearly CHF 2,500,000. The supported measures focus on organizational measures (mainly ongoing security costs), on improving structural and technical safeguards in the event of a terrorist or violent extremist-motivated attack, on better training to identify risks, and improving threat management. Further measures include raising awareness of the dangers and improving the availability of information.

List of the 34 approved requests 2023

19 organizations receive a grant to support organizational measures, such as ongoing security costs, aimed at strengthening protective measures in the event of a terrorist or violent extremist-motivated attack:

Agudas Achim, synagogue, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 14'184.65

Association Gan Chlomo, school, Lausanne

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 93'697.80

Centre Religieux et Culturel Hekhal Haness, synagogue, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 47'500.00

Communauté Israélite de Genève, several locations, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 373'180.20

Communauté Israélite de Lausanne et du Canton de Vaud, several locations, Vaud

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 104'116.00

Communauté Juive Libérale de Genève, synagogue, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 58'993.40

Ecole Ohalei Mena’hem Habad, school, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 69'830.10

EMS Les Marronniers, retirement home, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 2'461.15

Habad Genève, synagogue and kindergarden, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
- Amount awarded: CHF 45'135.30

Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 379'313.60

Israelitische Gemeinde Winterthur, synagogue, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 2’500

Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Baden, synagogue, Argovia

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 15'898.40

Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft Zürich, synagogue, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 18'407.45

Jüdische Gemeinde Bern, synagogue, Berne

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 31'059.10

Jüdische Liberale Gemeinde, synagogue, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 44'664.35

Jüdische Schule Noam, school, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 85'200.00

Jüdische Schule Zürich, school, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 52’600

Jüdisches Museum Schweiz, museum, Basel City

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 26'511.70

Tif’eres Doniel Primar- und Sekundarschule, school, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 66'334.95

15 organizations receive a grant to support measures of a structural and/or technical nature, in the field of training and/or awareness-raising and information regarding existing threats) aimed at strengthening protective measures in the event of a terrorist or violent extremist-motivated attack:

Agudas Achim, synagogue, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 130'038.30

Association Bosniaque de Lausanne, mosque, Lausanne

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 5'282.75

Basler Muslim Kommission, Basel City

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 3'625.00

Centre Culturel Islamique Sunnite de Genève, mosque, Geneva

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: 30'123.85

Centre Religieux et Culturel Hekhal Haness, synagogue, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 29'518.25

Communauté Israélite de Genève, synagogue, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 122'478.00

Communauté Juive Libérale de Genève, synagogue, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 27'376.45

Dachverband islamischer Gemeinden der Ostschweiz und des Fürstentums Liechtenstein, Eastern Switzerland

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 6'250.00

Islamische Gemeinschaft Dietikon, mosque, Zurich

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 2'213.60

Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich, community centre, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 125'425.50

Jüdisches Museum Schweiz, museum, Basel City

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 95'853.00

Tif’eres Doniel Primar- und Sekundarschule, school, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 63'154.90

Union Vaudoise des Associations Musulmanes, Vaud

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 3’625.00

Vereinigung der Islamischen Gemeinschaften Zürich, Zurich

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 33'190.00

Zürcher Türkisch-Islamischer Kulturverein für die Schweiz, community center, Zurich

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 10'180.00

List of the 9 approved requests 2022

Eight 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:

Centre Islamique de Lausanne, mosque, Lausanne

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 44,327

Centre Religieux et Culturel Hekhal Haness, synagogue, Geneva

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 104,189.15

Israelitischer Frauenverein Zürich für Maon Jom, day-care centre, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 24,977.70

The Jewish Community Lucerne, synagogue, Lucerne

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 82,500

Migwan Liberal Jewish Congregation Basel, centre, Basel

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 32,091.30

Association for the Promotion of the Minyan Wollishofen, centre, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 59,400

SIKNA Foundation Zurich, senior citizens' centre, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 50,065

Taschbar Zurich non-profit association and scholarship fund, kindergarten, Zurich

Minority concerned: Jewish religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 71,598.20

One organisation receives a grant to support an awareness-raising campaign and training that will enable risk identification and strengthen threat prevention:

Federation of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland

Minority concerned: Islamic religious community
Amount awarded: CHF 30,600

List of the 7 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

Legal bases

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