A naturalised man loses his Swiss citizenship for lying about his past; families in Switzerland are better off than ones living abroad, new study reveals; plus other news in our roundup this Wednesday.
A naturalised man loses his Swiss citizenship for lying about his past
According to media reports on Tuesday, the man, in his 40s, had his naturalisation revoked after it was discovered that he had concealed past criminal offences.
Arriving in Switzerland in 2003 as an asylum seeker, he obtained a B permit in 2009, then a permanent residence permit C in 2014. In 2015, he applied for naturalisation in Neuchâtel, and became a Swiss citizen the following year.
However, when the man was sentenced in in 2020 for various offences related to shady money transfers between Switzerland and foreign countries, the canton discovered that he already had a criminal record, which he had concealed, before applying for citizenship.
Neuchâtel authorities had revoked his naturalisation, and he is again a foreigner.
READ MORE: What are the reasons you could lose your Swiss citizenship?
Mild weather increases the risk of avalanches in the Swiss Alps
Unseasonably warm, spring-like weather that Switzerland is experiencing this week will loosen the snowpack covering the slopes, the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) warned.
“Slabs of rock are at risk of giving way (especially on exposed faces), triggering potentially dangerous slides,” the SLF said.
“We should therefore expect more slide avalanches [in the Swiss Alps] in the coming days.”
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Families in Switzerland are better off than ones living abroad, new study reveals
In international comparison, Swiss families are more satisfied, with their lives than their counterparts living abroad, according to new research carried out by the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy.
The study also found that poverty rate among Swiss households with children is around 6 percent, which is very low by European standards.
Additionally, the research revealed a high level of life satisfaction among families in Switzerland.
These findings contradict the widespread belief that countries with more extensive government support are generally better off: Switzerland achieves these results with significantly lower government spending than in many countries, the study noted.
For instance, while Germany, France, Austria, and the Netherlands allocate around 3 to 5 percent of their public spending to family policy, Switzerland has remained at 1 to 2 percent for decades.
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Zurich airport named the ‘best in Europe” – again.
Switzerland’s largest international airport has once again been named the best in Europe among others of this size at the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award.
This marks the ninth consecutive time Zurich has received this distinction, based on passenger surveys.
“This renewed recognition makes us very proud,” said the airport’s CEO Lukas Brosi.”adding that “we are fully committed to providing our passengers with a smooth, pleasant, and high-quality travel experience.”
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