The Federal Customs and Border Security service said 7,891 people had been found living in Switzerland without authorisation. This is a monthly increase of more than 2,000 since September. In October 2021, border guards found 2,090 illegal immigrants.
Most of these people had arrived across Switzerland’s eastern and southern borders and mainly originated from Afghanistan and Tunisia.
Police are investigating 385 cases of suspected people smuggling in the first 10 months of year, of which 50 were reported in October.
Switzerland is already struggling to accommodate the rising numbers of refugees who properly register with the authorities when they enter the country.
The army has been forced to construct temporary accommodation while cantons have been asked to take care of a more refugees than in normal times.
The State Secretariat for Migration expects to handle 22,000 refugee applications by the end of the year, which is 7,000 more than during 2021.
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.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
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China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
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A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
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The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
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Foreign children forced to grow up ‘in the closet’ call for apology
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Thousands of children of seasonal workers were not allowed to live with their parents in Switzerland – or did so illegally.
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Migration is one of the leading issues in the programmes of Swiss political parties as the country heads towards parliamentary elections in the autumn. Migration was also a major topic in debates at the World Social Forum which has just ended in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. The recent political turbulence in Tunisia has made the…
Swiss minister defends approach towards transiting migrants
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Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has rejected criticism that Swiss authorities are simply “waving migrants through” on the asylum route.
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