Thousands of immigrants were caught in Switzerland with fake passports, and high fines parents could pay for taking their children out of school — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Scores of illegal immigrants came to Switzerland using a fake passport
An increasing number of counterfeit passports are in circulation in Switzerland, which means holders could have obtained Swiss residency permits based on these forged documents.
An investigation carried out by public broadcaster SRF shows that “thousands” of foreigners are living in Switzerland illegally, with counterfeit European passports.
Criminal networks, some identified as being based in Turkey, forge and sell EU passports which, under the terms of the immigration agreement Bern has with the European Union, allow their holders to live and work in Switzerland.
READ ALSO: Thousands of foreigners are living in Switzerland with fake passports
What fines can you expect if take children out of school?
Parents who have children in public schools in Switzerland are obligated to ensure that the children attend classes according to the established schedule.
Some Swiss schools take a tough stance on parents who take their children out of class to go on holiday, or to extend their vacation time.
There have been reports of several-hundred-franc fines being slapped on parents, but that amount is not uniform, varying from one canton to another.
READ ALSO: What could happen if children miss school in Switzerland during term time?
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Will Swiss schoolchildren be taught how to shoot?
Some politicians in Switzerland believe that learning to shoot, as well as how to safely handle and care for weapons, should be part of the schools’ curriculum.
That would be consistent with Switzerland’s culture of responsible gun ownership, they say.
However, opponents are against this idea, even though sports shooting and competitions are common in the country, also among your people.
READ ALSO: Should Swiss students be taught shooting skills in schools?
Why Switzerland continues to have a shortfall of housing
Experts warn that Switzerland will continue to struggle with an inadequate supply of housing to meet the demands of an expanding population.
One of the reasons is the revised Spatial Planning Act.
Since this law came into effect in 2014, it has become increasingly more difficult to build new apartments, especially on undeveloped land, which may be zoned as agricultural or is off limits to developers for other reasons.
Therefore, fewer construction permits are being granted: 27 percent less had been given out over the past five years, “making the demand for new housing increasingly difficult to meet”, according to a recent analysis by the Wüest Partner real estate company.
READ ALSO: Why is Switzerland not building enough housing for its growing population?
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Zurich and two other Swiss cities are still the ‘smartest’ in the world
For the sixth consecutive time, the 2025 Smart Cities Index bestowed the title of the world’s smartest city on Zurich.
Two others — Geneva (3rd place) and Lausanne (10th) — also rank highly in a survey, which analysed 146 cities around the globe.
All three Swiss nabbed high scores for their basic amenities, health services, safety, school system, recycling, citizen engagement, and public transport.
READ ALSO: What makes Zurich a ‘smarter’ city than Geneva and Lausanne?
