New travel /border rules will go into effect on October 12th, and naturalised Swiss face discrimination from immigration authorities — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
New travel rules to go into effect on October 12th
Switzerland will, in line with the European Union, introduce the new Entry/Exit System (EES) for third-country nationals.
According to the government, “the Swiss airports in Basel [EuroAirport] and Geneva will implement the Entry/Exit System (EES) collection biometric data starting 12.10.2025. Zurich Airport will begin on 17.11.2025 and will also collect biometric data from the beginning.”
It also added that “smaller airports with a Schengen external border will follow between the 90th and 170th day after the go-live date (i.e. 12.10.2025).” This means on January 10th, 2026 and March 31st, 2026, accordingly.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about the start of new border checks at Swiss airports
Naturalised Swiss face discrimination from immigration authorities
Among the documents that are normally required for the naturalisation application process are character references from people who know the candidate well – friends, neighbours, and co-workers – who could attest to the applicant’s successful integration in Switzerland.
The only requirement is that they should be Swiss nationals themselves, but immigration authorities want only inidengious Swiss to provide these references rather than those who had been naturalised themselves.
However, “this approach is incompatible with the values of the Federal Constitution, as it implies that not all Swiss people are equal before the law,” MP Céline Widmer said.
READ ALSO: Switzerland accused of discrimination towards naturalised citizens
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University students may not be able to find jobs after graduating
Switzerland’s labour market has been suffering from shortages in certain sectors for quite a while.
And yet, according to an analysis carried out by Adecco Group Switzerland and the Swiss Job Market Monitor of the University of Zurich, there are currently 3 percent fewer vacancies than at the same time in 2024.
This downward trend also affects those with higher education degrees: data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that the unemployment rate among university graduates went up from from 2.7 to 3.2 percent between 2021 and 2023.
READ ALSO: Why it’s getting harder for graduates in Switzerland to find a job
Switzerland extends partial unemployment benefits to limit layoffs due to US tariffs
The Federal Council announced that it was extending the maximum duration of partial unemployment compensation to 24 months, compared to 18 months previously.
The extension should allow them “to adapt to a still difficult economic situation” in the face of “uncertainty linked to customs duties” and “to avoid layoffs”, the government said.
Partial unemployment in Switzerland refers to workers forced to reduce their hours or not work at all, while still remaining officially on staff — with the government paying part of their salary.
READ ALSO: Swiss to extend partial unemployment benefits to dampen tariff shock
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English has become even more popular in Switzerland
The proportion of people who state English as one of their primary languages has increased significantly in all Swiss cities.
This trend is reportedly most widespread in Zurich, where the proportion of people with English as their primary language rose to 12.9 percent – up from 10.8 percent in 2022.
(In terms of cantons rather than cities, Zug has the largest English-speaking population in Switzerland: 14.1 percent of those over the age of 15 have English as their primary language.)
Next is Basel-City, where 12.5 percent of the population speak English, followed by Geneva, (11.8 percent), and Vaud (9.1 percent).
READ ALSO: How English is becoming more prevalent in Swiss cities
Will Switzerland ban social media for minors?
Earlier this year, MPs in Switzerland investigated whether a ban on accessing Tiktok, Instagram, and other social media platforms by school-age children could be beneficial.
Nothing has come out of this effort so far, but the issue is still being debated – and stirring controversy – among politicians, educators, and psychologists.
Educator Thomas Minder, along with some MPs, believes social media exposure has a detrimental effect on kids, while psychologists like Daniel Süss argue that a ban is not a solution.
READ ALSO: Will Switzerland move to ban social media for children?
