Taxes for immigrants are debated in the parliament, and health insurance deductibles are set to rise — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
The idea of ‘foreigner tax’ is resurfacing in the parliament
A controversial new proposal calls for newly-arrived immigrants to pay a fee for the first 11 years of their residency in Switzerland.
It would go into effect once the country’s population reaches 9.5 million.
In other words, anyone moving to Switzerland would have to pay 3-percent of their income for 11 years, thus generating up to 1 billion francs annually, which would be redistributed among Switzerland’s population — for instance, in the form of a reduction in health insurance premiums.
READ ALSO: New plan launched to tax foreigners in Switzerland for first 11 years
The lowest annual health insurance deductible is set to increase
Swiss legislators have decided to raise the minimum deductible of the obligatory health insurance scheme to counteract the high cost of Switzerland’s healthcare.
The lowest deductible — 300 francs per year — will likely go up to either 400 or 500 francs in the future.
The idea behind this move is that if patients have to spend more money out of pocket before being able to have their bills paid by insurance, they would seek medical help less often for minor ailments, and healthcare costs would be curbed.
READ ALSO: Switzerland to hike the minimum health insurance deductible
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High-ranked US military official: Switzerland should get ready for Russian attack
Ben Hodges, a retired US general who served as the commander of NATO forces in Europe, has issued this warning to the Swiss government.
The reason that Switzerland’s military should boost its defence capabilities is that the United States will withdraw its troops — which have acted as a deterrent against Russian invasion — from Europe.
“We can see how Russia is disrupting free trade in the Black Sea and the North Sea – in other words, waging a hybrid war. Switzerland is not immune to this, Hodges said.”
READ ALSO: US general advises Switzerland to ‘prepare for war’
MP helps descendants of Swiss citizens get permission to immigrate to Switzerland
A group of descendants of Swiss emigrants in Argentina have been trying to obtain Swiss nationality, but their initiative was rejected by the Federal Council.
However, deputy Carlo Sommaruga is championing their cause in the parliament, stressing their emotional links to Switzerland.
As it is, however, the group has no legal leg to stand on, though the government said they can still apply for naturalisation as ancestors of Swiss citizens.
READ ALSO: Could foreigners with Swiss roots be allowed to work in Switzerland?
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More people than ever caught riding without a ticket
More than a million people were listed in the national register of public transport fare dodgers in Switzerland at the end of 2024 — the highest number since the records were created ix years ago.
The centralised register, created in 2019, made it easy to identify ‘serial’ offenders — that is, people who rode without a ticket more than once.
This is important not only for statistical reasons, but also so that appropriate fines could be imposed.
According to the national rail company, SBB, travelling without a valid ticket costs 90 francs (in addition to the price of the ticket) if this is the commuters’ first offence — or at least the first time being caught.
For the second and third offences the surcharges are 130 and 160 francs, respectively.
READ ALSO: What is Switzerland’s notorious fare dodging register and how does it work?
