Rules that Swiss immigration authorities need to follow for checking up on foreigners and the Swiss regions where young people can afford to buy homes are among the top stories on The Local this week.
What happens if you get inspected by immigration authorities?
Foreigners who are fully in compliance with the Swiss immigration law need not worry about being on the authorities’ radar, though checks are not totally excluded.
In such cases, however, you will get ample notice from cantonal officials, who will explain what documents are needed to be provided, and why.
Any follow-up deemed necessary by these authorities is typically carried out by municipal police stations.
Help of an immigration attorney is rarely needed.
READ MORE: When can Swiss immigration authorities check up on you?
Under-35s have have only limited opportunities to become homeowners
Real estate — whether houses or apartments — is very expensive in Switzerland, and only those with established high income and assets in the bank can afford it — which is rarely the case with young people.
According to a new study, there are only some municipalities in three cantons where young people people under 35 can realise their dream of buying property.
They are Jura from Mervelier to Boncourt; in towns of Gampel, Turtmann, Ausserberg and Fieschertal in Valais; as well as in Ticino, communities of Airolo, Quinto, and Faido.
READ MORE: Where in Switzerland can young people afford to buy property?
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Flying out of Switzerland costs more than from Germany
The Lufthansa Group — to which Switzerland’s national carrier SWISS belongs — charges different ticket prices depending on the departure location.
Those flying from Switzerland usually pay higher costs.
One example of this price disparity between countries is that a flight in business class purchased with miles used to cost the same regardless of whether it left from Zurich with SWISS or from Frankfurt with Lufthansa.
But now, a flight departing from Zurich costs (in miles) nearly 60 percent more than the one leaving from a German airport.
READ MORE: Why passengers flying from Swiss airports pay ‘significantly more’ for tickets
Swiss don’t feel very European
In a new study, the vast majority of respondents — 69 percent — described themselves as ‘Swiss’, with only 4 percent identifying as ‘European.’ So why is that?
The study in question, carried out by YouGov market research institute, did not specify why such a high proportion of respondents feel exclusively Swiss or, for that matter, what exactly being ‘Swiss’ means to them.
Is it only a matter of a passport, or does it have a deeper meaning, such as, for instance, a sense of patriotism, pride, national identity, or other deep-seated values?
These findings may seem surprising but perhaps we shouldn’t be.
READ MORE: Why so many in Switzerland identify only as ‘Swiss’ rather than ‘European’
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Why workers in certain parts of Switzerland are more likely to be underpaid
Wages in Switzerland are generally higher than almost everywhere else in Europe. But that doesn’t mean everyone is paid fairly, new analysis has found.
The conclusion from a large-scale salary assessment carried out by the Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB) is that many in the country are unfairly under paid.
The organisation found that “wherever checks are carried out, violations are discovered,” adding that wages are found to be “insufficient in many cantons.”
This assessment is based on inspections of nearly 140,000 salaries carried out in 2024.
READ MORE: Why workers in Switzerland are more likely to be underpaid in certain cantons
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Swiss village to become a ‘major station’ for the Starlink network
SpaceX wants to set up 40 antennas to relay Starlink satellites — “a major ground station in the global network” — in a Valais community of Leuk,
The planned antennas are approximately 2.5 metres high and of the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) type.
They will serve as ground stations for the Starlink network, enabling the connection between the satellites and the terrestrial internet.
If the project is implemented, it would be the first Starlink ground station in Switzerland.
READ MORE: Elon Musk’s SpaceX wants to install 40 antennas in Swiss village
