On Sunday, the deputy leader of Germany’s CDU/CSU parliamentary group told the NZZ am Sonntag paper that reports of Swiss border guards allowing asylum seekers to pass through Switzerland to reach their preferred destinations – such as France or Germany – was a case of “national egoisms [which] are damaging the Schengen Area”.
Andrea Lindholz was specifically referring to the situation at Switzerland’s eastern border, where up to 1,000 migrants per week, mostly young Afghans, are currently arriving but not applying for asylum.
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‘Switzerland is violating the Dublin accords by letting migrants pass through’
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The Swiss government should work out a common migration policy with its neighbours, says expert Etienne Piguet.
Keller-Sutter rejected the idea that letting the migrants move onwards amounts to a flouting of the “Dublin” rules of asylum for the 26 Schengen states: “if these people don’t apply for asylum, and simply travel onwards, then there is no Dublin process,” Keller-Sutter told Swiss public television SRF. Police can carry out checks, but cannot detain the migrants, she said.
Keller-Sutter added on Monday that she had also since contacted the German interior minister, who was for her part “a bit surprised” about the criticism reported in the Swiss press; notably, a spokesperson for the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had also told the NZZ am Sonntag that the Swiss practice was a violation of the rules.
Germany and Switzerland continue to cooperate well and to work together to tackle illegal migration, Keller-Sutter said.
Dublin difficulties
Dublin rules say the Schengen state responsible for processing an asylum application is generally the country of “the first point of irregular entry”. However, since 2015 and the large numbers of migrants arriving in Europe, policymakers in Brussels have been trying to reform the process to reduce the burden on border states like Greece and Italy and to redistribute the migrants more equitably across Europe.
In mid-October, the number of irregular crossings into the European Union reached its highest level since 2016, the European border security agency Frontex said.
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Swiss migration authorities struggling with ‘overlapping crises’
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The Swiss migration head says federal asylum centres are full and the situation is unprecedented since the Second World War.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
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A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
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Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
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Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
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A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
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Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
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Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
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Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
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To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
77th Swiss Gymnastics Festival praised for ‘positive energy’
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The 77th Federal Gymnastics Festival drew to a close on Sunday in Lausanne, after eleven days of popular celebration and sporting performances.
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How welcoming is Switzerland for refugees?
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Besides geography, politics and the solidarity of the population play a decisive role in determining which countries people flee to.
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.