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.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
An atomic ‘tick-tock’ with Swiss technology heads to space to test the Einstein effect
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On Monday, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the ACES set of atomic clocks to measure the effect of gravity on the passage of time.
Swiss Guard swearing-in ceremony postponed following Pope Francis death
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The swearing-in ceremony of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which usually takes place on May 6 each year, has been postponed to a date to be announced next autumn.
Swiss medical device maker Ypsomed to sell diabetes business
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Bern-based injection device manufacturer Ypsomed announced on Tuesday that it was selling its diabetes-related activities.
Award-winning Swiss author and scholar Peter von Matt dies aged 87
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The Alemannic writer and former professor of German literature Peter von Matt died on Monday in Zurich at the age of 87, following a long illness.
Swiss foreign minister spoke with Iranian counterpart about US dialogue
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Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi about the current dialogue between the US and Iran.
Swiss foreign minister appeals for cohesion and dialogue at Expo in Japan
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Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis called for cohesion and dialogue at the opening of the Swiss National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, on Tuesday.
Switzerland postpones launch of emergency number for domestic violence victims
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The launch of the “142” emergency number, which aims to help victims of domestic violence in Switzerland, has been postponed to May 2026.
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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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