A Spanish getaway driver will not be expelled from Switzerland despite being convicted for his part in a robbery. The verdict from Switzerland’s highest court sets a precedent for so-called ‘hardship cases’ when deciding which foreign criminals should be deported.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/swissinfo.ch/mga
العربية
ar
أعلى محكمة سويسرية تضع سقفا لإمكانية طرد المجرمين الأجانب
On January 1, 2017, a new Swiss law came into force. It allows courts to deport foreigners residing in Switzerland to their country of origin for a variety of offences, including murder, grievous bodily harm, sexual assaults or serious crime against property.
One provision of the law instructs judges to consider whether a deportation would be a disproportionate measure in individual cases. This might take into account where the criminal was born, how long they have lived in Switzerland, whether they have children in the country and if they would have specific problems in relocating to their country of origin.
On Thursday, the Swiss supreme court ruled that the Spaniard should be allowed to remain in Switzerland despite being found guilty of being an accomplice to a robbery and violations of firearms and narcotics laws.
In this case the man was born and raised in canton Valais, has two children in Switzerland, is financially self-sufficient and has no family or close contacts in Spain. This is the first such hardship ruling since the law came into force, setting the bar for future verdicts.
Around a quarter of the Swiss population – more than 2 million people – have foreign passports only, a proportion that is increasing. Around 300,000 of this group were born and raised in Switzerland without ever becoming citizens of the alpine state.
More
More
Defining the 25% foreign population in Switzerland
This content was published on
For the first time, Switzerland has 2 million foreigners living in its midst. But just who exactly are they? These graphics offer an explanation.
This content was published on
Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.
This content was published on
Cattle in the canton of Geneva and in the neighbouring region of Terre Sainte in the canton of Vaud are being vaccinated against the contagious viral skin nodule disease. The first cases of the animal disease were reported at the end of June in France, just outside Geneva.
Fewer attacks on Swiss ATMs but their future remains uncertain
This content was published on
Bank ATMs in Switzerland are less prone to attacks by criminals, but their future remains uncertain given the less active use of cash by the population.
This content was published on
A series of rockfalls occurred above the village of Brienz between 9 and 12 July. According to the municipality of Albula, the overall situation remains tense. Several people disregarded the ban on entering the area around the village.
This content was published on
Arosa Bergbahnen achieved the highest figure in its 95-year history in the 2024/25 financial year with net revenue of CHF 37 million. Arosa Lenzerheide was able to capitalise on strengths such as snow reliability and the size of the ski area in a long winter season, the company announced on Thursday.
This content was published on
Unknown perpetrators stole ceramic dental implants during a break-in at a company in Oensingen, northern Switzerland, on Tuesday night.
Euro 2025: Bern prepares for massive parade ahead of Switzerland-Spain game
This content was published on
The last Euro 2025 match to be played in Bern, the quarterfinal between Spain and Switzerland at 9pm on Friday, promises to be a great celebration of football.
Clariant faces further ethylene price-fixing claim
This content was published on
Swiss chemicals group Clariant is facing a further claim for damages in connection with ethylene price-fixing agreements.
This content was published on
The Grande Dixence dam in Lower Valais is closed to visitors due to a rockfall last weekend. The nearby hotel also had to temporarily suspend operations for safety reasons.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Deportation now a reality for foreign criminals
This content was published on
The foreign criminal deportation law will not officially come into force until January 1, 2017 – but it will take into account any crimes committed from October 1, 2016. From now on, foreigners residing in Switzerland could be deported to their country of origin for a variety of offences, including murder, grievous bodily harm, sexual…
This content was published on
A final opinion poll also saw support dwindle for a second road tunnel through the Swiss Alps. The latest survey, commissioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, swissinfo.ch’s parent company, was carried out eight days ago and published on Wednesday. Pollsters of the leading GfS Bern institute interviewed more than 1,400 citizens from around Switzerland. The…
This content was published on
Official data on criminal convictions have re-kindled a political controversy about the expulsion of foreign criminal offenders from Switzerland.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.