Government is set to create a task force dealing with foreign criminals; real estate sector is used for money laundering; and more Swiss news in our Monday roundup.
Switzerland to establish a task force to tackle foreigners who repeatedly commit crime.
The cantons and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will create a task force in June 2025 to deal with foreign recidivists, the Federal Council announced on Friday.
The aim of the aptly named “Multi-repeat offender task force” will be to ensure that serial criminals are systematically detained and deported to their country of origin.
This tightening of the screws responds to continued criticism from a number of MPs, who have been complaining about the government’s “excessive laxity” in dealing with foreign criminals.
READ ALSO: The reasons foreign residents can be ordered to leave Switzerland
Real estate is a ‘popular’ venue for money laundering
Real estate industry in Switzerland is a particularly popular place for criminals looking to launder their illicit money, according to lawyer and money laundering expert Fabian Teichmann.
“If I were a criminal, I would invest in real estate in Switzerland,” he noted.
That’s because Swiss property market is “internationally recognised as safe, stable, and attractive for long-term investments.”
It’s impossible to say exactly how much money flows into Swiss real estate each year.
Estimates are scarce, and reliable figures are nonexistent.
“The problem is the high number of unreported cases,” Teichmann said. “Logically, those who successfully launder money won’t be caught. But one thing is clear: “Money laundering accounts for a significant portion of the real estate market.”
“If supply remains the same, purchase prices will inevitably rise – and eventually, rents will too,” he said.
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Discount retailer opens doors in Switzerland
Action, the non-food Dutch discounter that claims to be the fastest-growing cut-rate retail chain in Europe, has opened its first store on Saturday in Bachenbülach, in the canton of Zurich.
It plans to offer around 6,000 items at rock-bottom prices unmatched elsewhere in Switzerland, according to the retailer.
Some 1,500 items — including DIY supplies, multimedia devices, body care products, and toys —are expected to be consistently priced under 2 francs,
The second Action store on the Swiss territory is expected to open on April 14th in Martigny (VS).
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Switzerland breaks the record for the world’s largest raclette
Some 4,893 people who gathered in Martigny (VS) on Saturday evening for what was advertised as “the largest raclette in the world,” took the coveted record away from France.
“We didn’t just break a record, we celebrated a vibrant culture and the richness of our region.” said Samuel Bonvin, the event’s director, referring to the raceltte’s birthplace, the canton of Valais.
The previous record was set in Saint-Étienne, France, on March 22nd, 2025, when the event brought together 2,522 people.
“We can’t leave this record to the French,” Bonvin said, pointing out that the French record, was achieved with pre-cut slices of cheese, while the Swiss used the traditional method of scraping the cheese wheel.
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