Those in need in the canton of Geneva – Sans-Papiers is twice as affected by the crown crisis – News story

• In Geneva, people queue for hours to get food packages; in Corona’s times, the situation is even worse.
• A study is now drawing a more accurate picture of who these people are: often Sans-Papiers are uninsured.
• The canton of Geneva is taking measures against poverty and the protection of people.

Combating hunger and the spread of the coronavirus – these are the intentions of the new Geneva government measures. The governing council has spoken an additional million francs against hunger. The money is for food packages that are regularly distributed to those in need.

The canton also wants to prevent the spread of the corona virus by ensuring that all people living in Geneva visit a doctor if they have symptoms of illness. In the study by Doctors Without Borders and the University of Geneva Hospital, 60 percent of respondents who queued for lunch bags said they had no health insurance.

In the study, about half of the more than 500 respondents stated that they lived in Geneva without legal residence. According to their own statements, nine out of ten of these Sans documents are not covered by health insurance.

Lack of health insurance or fear of having to reveal one’s identity should not lead to not being examined and possibly contribute to the spread of the virus. Geneva is currently the canton most seriously affected by the corona virus in relation to the number of inhabitants, with more than one positive case for every 100 inhabitants.