Switzerland and Kosovo have agreed to resume the payment of old age and disability pensions suspended eight years ago amid cases of fraud.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch with SRF and SDA-ATS; urs
Currently an estimated 50,000 people from Kosovo who used to work in Switzerland can’t receive their social security payments if they return to their country of origin in southeast Europe.
Representatives from the Kosovo government and the Swiss ambassador to Pristina on Friday signed an accord which provides the resumption of payments and measures to combat fraud, according to a statement by the Swiss interior ministry.
The accord, which is subject to approval by the parliaments in both countries, is set to come into force next year. The Swiss government approved the agreement in March.
Following the military conflict between Serbia and its southern province of Kosovo in the late 1990s, Switzerland has become sponsor of aid, reconstruction and stabilisation programmes in the Balkan state. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008.
Beside Germany, Switzerland has been a popular destination for emigrants over the past decade. An estimated 350,000 Kosovars have settled in Switzerland.
More
More
Daily life in Kosovo
This content was published on
On February 17, 2008, the former Serbian province of Kosovo declared its independence. The Swiss government was one of the first to recognise Kosovo as an independent state. Ethnic Albanians make up 92 per cent of the population of 2.2 million, but Serbs still dominate the north of the country.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
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
Trying to make Kosovo work
This content was published on
Switzerland is one of the countries trying to help create jobs in Kosovo and stop people leaving in droves in search of better lives abroad.
This content was published on
As of April 1, Kosovars have been unable to have their retirement and disability insurance payments sent to Kosovo. Instead, the workers must remain in Switzerland to receive those funds. The Swiss government cancelled the payments over concerns of fraud and abuse, which prompted an inquiry in 2008. It failed after investigators received death threats.…
This content was published on
Accords with countries in the former Yugoslavia and with Turkey that govern payments to disabled workers once employed in Switzerland would also be renegotiated, Interior Minister Didier Burkhalter said. Switzerland pays pensions to roughly 59,000 people living abroad. About 43,000 of those are European Union nationals. A few hundred of payments go to people in…
This content was published on
The Federal Social Security Office believes the overall rate of abuse is around one per cent despite allegations of widespread fraud raised by rightwing political parties, notably against foreigners in Switzerland. About 300,000 people receive payments from the disability insurance scheme, including 40,000 who live abroad, mostly in European Union countries. Some 4,000 beneficiaries live…
Citizen movement campaigns to curb social detectives
This content was published on
Since the passing of a law granting ‘social welfare detectives’ more powers, an unprecedented citizen movement has emerged in protest.
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.