Lettres ouvertes

From 1931 to 2002, Switzerland issued some six million seasonal residence permits, known as “A” permits, to immigrant workers. This status carried drastic rules. The workers were not allowed to bring their families, and their stay in Switzerland was limited to nine months per year. In a series of open letters, former seasonal workers and their children tell of the impact this system had on their lives. It remains tangible and its disclosure questions the apparent indifference of the Swiss towards these human beings who were destined to build their country while at the same time remaining invisible.