The increase in bi-national unions is one cause, according to Le Matin Dimanche, citing data from the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ).
In 2011, 35 requests for the return of children were sent by Switzerland to states that are co-signatories of the Hague ConventionExternal link. Ten years later, 68 requests had been made.
When parents come from different countries, “in cases of family conflicts and divorces, it often happens that people want to return to their country of origin and take their children with them,” confirms Ingrid Ryser, spokesperson for the FOJ.
In 75% of the cases, it is the mothers who abduct their children. They are also far more likely to refuse the co-parent’s visitation rights – in 85% of cases.
The gender issue is also significant in the case of child repatriation. The odds of returning the child back to Switzerland depends on the culture of the country, i.e., whether it is more favourable to the mother or the father.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
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As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
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After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
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A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
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The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
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Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
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TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
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The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
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The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Two boys kidnapped in Switzerland are found in France
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Two seven-year-old boys kidnapped in western Switzerland on Friday have been found in southwest France, Swiss police said on Saturday.
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Each year, Swiss authorities handle up to 200 cases of international child abduction, where children are caught in a tug-of-love wrangle between separated parents, usually of different nationalities. In 2008, 73 per cent of the time it was the mother who carried out the abduction. On Wednesday, a new Swiss law concerning the international abduction…
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