A recent poll run by Swiss media company Tamedia on voting intentions for the upcoming federal referendum to ban face covering in public found a majority were in favour. Overall, 63% of those polled were in favour of the ban, with 35% opposed and 2% undecided, according to the newspaper Le Matin. Political party support […]
European court rules against Swiss fine for begging
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against a Swiss fine issued to a Roma beggar. In January 2014, a woman begging on the streets of Geneva was fined CHF 500. Unable to pay the fine, the woman was placed in detention for 5 days. Begging is banned in many places in Switzerland. Laws […]
Swiss passport one of the most powerful in 2021
The Henley Passport Index ranks all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. Without taking temporary restrictions into account, Japan continues to hold the number one position on the index, with passport holders able to access 191 destinations around the world visa-free. This marks the […]
Switzerland and the UK sign agreement on mobility of service providers
On 14 December 2020, Switzerland and the UK signed an agreement that secures reciprocal, facilitated market access for service providers between Switzerland and the United Kingdom from 1 January 2021. The Services Mobility Agreement (SMA) regulates the mutual access and temporary stay of service providers, for example, management consultants, IT experts and engineers. The agreement […]
Brexit: new regulations on bringing animals from UK to Switzerland
From 1 January 2021, imports of animals and animal products from the United Kingdom into Switzerland will be subject to the same conditions as imports from countries outside the European Union. This has consequences for travellers wishing to import animals or products of animal origin from the United Kingdom into Switzerland. From 1 January 2021, […]
Terror attack in Vienna linked to Winterthur
Following the terrorist attack in Vienna this week, Swiss and Austrian authorities have been in contact following the arrest of two Swiss in Winterthur, a hotbed of radicalisation in Switzerland, according to RTS. Intelligence services, police and judicial authorities from both nations have been working together to look at the case. The An’ Nur mosque […]
38% of Swiss population has a migrant background
At the end of 2019, nearly 38% of permanent residents in Switzerland over the age of 15 had a migrant background, according to recently published data. Those with a migrant background fell into one of two categories: first or second generation migrants. First generation migrants, which made up 31% of the population, were either foreign […]
Swiss politician hopes to ban dual citizens from running for parliament
Andreas Glarner, a member of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) told the SonntagsZeitung that members of parliament with dual nationality “do not represent Switzerland’s best interests”. In an interview, Glarner said he is submitting a parliamentary proposal to ban dual citizens from running for the National Council, Switzerland’s parliament, and the Council of States, Switzerland’s […]
Switzerland adds 11 more nations to its compulsory quarantine list
From 20 August 2020, people entering Switzerland from Andorra, Belgium, Monaco and 50 other nations must quarantine for 10 days. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recently added 11 places to its existing list of regions where there is an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them are Albania, Andorra, Gibraltar, Monaco, Belgium and […]
Swiss activist loses appeal against conviction for bringing a failed asylum seeker into Switzerland
Anni Lanz, a 74 year old activist from Basel, was caught bringing a failed Afghan asylum seeker back to Switzerland in violation of Swiss law in February 2018. The man, a former soldier from Afghanistan, who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, found himself sleeping on the streets of Milan after his Swiss asylum application […]
