This week, a proposal put forward by Lisa Mazzone, a federal parliamentarian from Geneva, to grant automatic citizenship to those born in Switzerland was rejected by 29 to 13 votes in the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house, reported 20 Minutes. Unrestricted jus soli, or birthright citizenship, is increasingly rare beyond the nations of North […]
Swiss parliamentarians must make foreign nationalities public
Dual nationality is a hot political topic for a few outspoken politicians in Switzerland who are concerned that dual nationals holding elected positions in Switzerland have a conflict of interest. One suggestion for removing any potential split loyalty was to ban anyone with dual nationality from elected office, effectively forcing any dual nationals set on […]
Switzerland repatriates children from Syria for the first time
Two children with Swiss nationality are to be repatriated from northern Syria without their mother, who once belonged to the terrorist group Islamic State, reported RTS. It will be the first time Switzerland has organised such a repatriation. The two girls aged 9 and 15 will return to Geneva. The girls’ fathers have been calling […]
Initiative launched for vote to agree Swiss deal with EU
A group called Opération Libero and the Green party plan to come together to launch a referendum to require Switzerland’s federal government to sign new deal with the EU. At a meeting on 26 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council evaluated the results of Switzerland’s negotiations with the EU around the institutional framework agreement, an agreement […]
Switzerland wants to make it easier for some foreign students to stay
On 27 October 2021, the Federal Council put forward a plan to change the rules around foreign students working in Switzerland upon completing study at a Swiss university. The proposed rules would allow those graduating from Swiss universities with masters or doctorates in fields with a shortage of workers to work in Switzerland more easily. […]
Almost all Swiss now out of Afghanistan
By 24 August 2021, all those working for the Swiss government and their close family members had either successfully left Afghanistan or made it to a secure part of the airport in Kabul, according to RTS. 15 Swiss citizens now remain in the country in addition to those at the airport. A total of 292 […]
Switzerland stops returning people to Afghanistan
On 11 August 2021, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), announced that it was stopping the return of failed asylum seekers to Afghanistan, as the security situation in the country deteriorates. SEM said it was stopping the return of failed asylum seekers until further notice. Only preparations for the expulsion of criminals would continue. Sweden, […]
Preacher accused of racial discrimination by Swiss prosecutor
In a long running case dating back to 2017, a Swiss prosecutor has accused a Libyan preacher of racial discrimination and started legal proceedings against the man, reported SRF. It is alleged that the 68 year old Libyan gave a hate speech targeting Jews, Christians, Hindus, Russians and Shiites in a mosque in the town […]
Immigrants pay higher rent than native Swiss
Those with a migration background in Switzerland are on average financially worse off than those without, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). And those with a migration background pay on average 10% more per square metre of living space than the rest of the population. In Switzerland, around 20% of those with […]
Foreigners in Switzerland avoiding welfare for fear of expulsion
Until fairly recently, anyone on a C-permit who had lived in Switzerland for 15 years was able to draw welfare payments without risking their permit. In 2019, a new law changed this. Article 63 of Switzerland’s federal law on foreigners (page 32) sets out a number of conditions that allow residency rights to be taken […]
