This week, Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office released the latest Swiss prison figures. In 2017, the total incarceration rate was 81 per 100,000, down from 83 in 2016. Switzerland’s rate is a far cry from the 656 per 100,000 found in the US. In a world ranking of 222 countries, Switzerland comes in 162nd lowest. In […]
German couple bequeaths fortune to Swiss municipality
The municipality Vilters-Wangs in the canton of St. Gallen, received a legacy of around 8 million francs recently. The estate of a German couple includes their house, securities and an art collection, which will be put on display next summer in the Kunstmuseum in St. Gallen. The town of Vilters-Wangs has a population of around […]
Fewer foreigners commuting to Switzerland for work
In the third quarter of 2018, around 312,000 foreign residents commuted to work in Switzerland. In 2017 the figure was around 317,000. Cross-border workers in SwitzerlandInfogram This near 2% drop is the first since 2002. In 2002, there were only around 162,000 crossing into Switzerland to work, roughly half (52%) of today’s number. The fastest […]
Nearly half of Swiss residents in Geneva have more than one nationality
Across all of Switzerland, 17.3% of Swiss over 15 have more than one nationality. However in Geneva, the figure (45.0%) is close to half. No other Swiss canton comes close. The next highest are Ticino (29.2%), Vaud (27.6%) and Neuchâtel (26.7%). The German-speaking cantons of Basel-City (23.8%), Zurich (20.5%) and Zug (15.3%) are next. Of […]
Majority of Swiss in favour of an agreement with EU, according to poll
A majority of Swiss are in favour of reaching a framework agreement with the EU, according to a poll run by Sotomo on behalf of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Negotiations on a framework agreement have become fractious over the summer especially discussions between the Swiss government and trade unions over job and salary protection measures that the […]
Swiss parliament accepts plan to strip asylum rights from those travelling home
A proposition put forward by the Swiss people’s party (UDC/SVP) to strip asylum from those travelling to their home country was accepted by 129 members of the National Council and rejected by 57. The UDC argued that returning home for a holiday or to visit parents proves the refugee is not threatened or persecuted there […]
Welfare fraudster risks expulsion from Switzerland
After listening to the culprit claim she had committed the fraud to help her family, the judge sentenced her to deportation, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. For the judge, the woman’s latest act of fraud, claiming unemployment benefits while working, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. This was the woman’s third welfare […]
Swiss job numbers up but there are too few qualified workers
In the second quarter of 2018, the number of jobs in Switzerland rose to 5.048 million, a 2.1% increase on the second quarter of 2017. Regions rising the most were Lake Geneva (+3.0%), north west Switzerland (+3.0%), central Switzerland (+2.4%) and Zurich (+2.1%). Rises in job numbers in eastern Switzerland (+1.6%), Mittelland (+1.3%) and Ticino […]
Poorly integrated foreigners will soon risk losing their permits
Last week, the Federal Council looked again at residence permits and adopted new rules, which were accepted by parliament in 2016, according to the newspaper Le Matin. The new rules, which will be introduced at the beginning of 2019, will help foreigners integrate and remove permits from those who don’t. To aid integration, the special […]
No handshake. No Swiss passport.
Last week, the commune of Lausanne rejected a couple’s application to become Swiss after they refused to shake hands with officials of the opposite sex, according to a report by Keystone-ATS published in Le Matin. Their application was rejected on the grounds that this attitude does not respect the equality of men and women, a […]
