He would have been better off choosing another hobby. Aleksandar, a 31-year-old from Aargau living in Biel, recently developed a passion for paintball. He wanted to buy his own rifle for regular training. However, when he inquired with the police, he learned that he could not do so in Switzerland because of his North Macedonian passport. Indeed, the law prohibits the purchase of weapons, including paintball weapons, from certain foreign nationals, including those from North Macedonia. This regulation aims to prevent the risk of illegal export of weapons to conflict zones.
For Aleksandar, this measure is experienced as an injustice. Despite his integration in Switzerland, he sees himself discriminated against because of his nationality, which pushes him to compare his situation to that of a “blacklist”. If exceptions can be granted by the cantons for certain weapons or in particular contexts, paintball is not one of them in the canton of Bern. However, alternatives exist, such as renting a gun for games, which would allow Aleksandar to continue practicing his new hobby without owning his own equipment.
Swiss
