Thanks! These are good answers and some interesting history.
As for the holocaust note that Switzerland managed to keep their Jewish population safe. There are very few countries in Europe that can make a similar claim.
That’s a really good point I somehow haven’t thought on. Some more info from Wikipedia (Emphasis mine):
As a neutral state bordering Germany, Switzerland was relatively easy to reach for refugees from the Nazis. Switzerland’s refugee laws, especially with respect to Jews fleeing Germany, were strict and have caused controversy since the end of World War II. From 1933 until 1944 asylum for refugees could only be granted to those who were under personal threat owing to their political activities only; it did not include those who were under threat due to race, religion or ethnicity.[33] On the basis of this definition, Switzerland granted asylum to only 644 people between 1933 and 1945; of these, 252 cases were admitted during the war.[33] All other refugees were admitted by the individual cantons and were granted different permits, including a “tolerance permit” that allowed them to live in the canton but not to work. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned 300,000 refugees.[34] Of these, 104,000 were foreign troops interned according to the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers outlined in the Hague Conventions. The rest were foreign civilians and were either interned or granted tolerance or residence permits by the cantonal authorities. Refugees were not allowed to hold jobs. Of the refugees, 60,000 were civilians escaping persecution by the Nazis. Of these 60,000, 27,000 were Jews.[33]Between 10,000 and 24,000 Jewish civilian refugees were refused entry.[33] These refugees were refused entry on the asserted claim of dwindling supplies. Of those refused entry, a Swiss government representative said, “Our little lifeboat is full”. At the beginning of the war, Switzerland had a Jewish population of between 18,000 and 28,000 and a total population of about 4 million.[17][35][36] By the end of the war, there were over 115,000 refuge-seeking people of all categories in Switzerland, representing the maximum number of refugees at any one time.[33]
Thanks! These are good answers and some interesting history.
That’s a really good point I somehow haven’t thought on. Some more info from Wikipedia (Emphasis mine):