Switzerland is often seen as a magnet for foreigners. Far less attention is paid to the large number that leave every year. In a typical year, roughly 90,000 foreign nationals leave, according to new data obtained by swissinfo.ch. Between 2013 and 2022, net migration averaged more than 60,000 a year, accounting for 85% of Switzerland’s […]
No more vegan chicken – Swiss court bans animal names for plant-based products
This week, Switzerland’s highest court has ruled that plant-based meat alternatives may no longer carry names that directly refer to animals, such as “vegan pork” or “plant-based chicken”, reported RTS. The Federal Court sided with the federal government in its appeal against a Zurich-based producer, Planted Foods, requiring it to rename several of its products. […]
Swiss government favours simple majority vote on EU deal
This week, the Federal Council said it favours putting its new package of agreements with the European Union to an optional referendum, requiring only a simple majority of voters—not the double majority of both voters and cantons required in a mandatory referendum, reported RTS. The decision, announced by the Federal Council on Wednesday, now passes […]
Switzerland criticised for curbs on the right to protest
This week, Amnesty International warned of a steady erosion of the right to protest in Switzerland. Once a central bulwark against injustice and arbitrary power, the freedom of assembly, the organisation argued, must be robustly defended—particularly amid a global surge in authoritarianism. In its annual report published on Tuesday, the human-rights group criticised several recent […]
Reports of racist incidents up nearly 40% in Switzerland
Switzerland recorded 1,211 cases of racial discrimination in 2024, an increase of 335 compared with the previous year, according to a report published by the country’s network of anti-racism centres. The 40% annual rise is the steepest in recent years. Most incidents occurred in schools and the number of reported cases has been climbing steadily […]
Hamas officially banned in Switzerland from 15 May
From 15 May 2025, Hamas will be banned in Switzerland, under a five-year measure approved by the Federal Council on Wednesday, reported RTS. Parliament had given the green light for a ban in December 2024, following the attacks by the Islamist group in October 2023. The ban, drawn up at Parliament’s request, targets not only […]
US wants to prioritise trade negotiations with Switzerland
Karin Keller-Sutter, Switzerland’s president and finance minister, met Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, in Washington on Thursday for what she described as a productive exchange. The two discussed ways to strengthen economic collaboration between their countries, reported RTS. Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States is seeking a swift resolution to […]
Switzerland’s underground cargo project switches track
Cargo Sous Terrain (CST), Switzerland’s long-planned underground freight network, has been in the making for more than a decade. The concept is simple: instead of clogging up roads, goods would be transported via automated wagons moving through subterranean tunnels, loaded and unloaded at designated hubs. Yet enthusiasm for the project has cooled. Last year, municipalities […]
Rockfall risk keeps the Grand-Saint-Bernard route closed
The Grand-Saint-Bernard route (A21) will remain closed until further notice, Swiss authorities have confirmed, citing an elevated risk of rockfall following an avalanche on 17 April 2025. The avalanche damaged the Toules gallery, a key protective structure on the A21. Although repairs to the gallery are due to be completed today, the Federal Roads Office […]
10% of Swiss residence permits could be fraudulently issued
Across Switzerland, authorities are grappling with a sharp rise in forged identity documents and residence permit fraud. Investigators in Neuchâtel have uncovered a criminal network with roots in Turkey, allegedly responsible for distributing counterfeit European passports and IDs to individuals who use them to apply for residence permits to work illegally in local restaurants. So […]
