Hard-right launches its anti-immigration campaign, and the government warns jobseekers about fraudulent employment offers – these are among the Swiss news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Rightwing campaign to curb immigration is under way
Though the initiative to limit the influx of foreigners from the EU has been sparking controversy for a while, the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) has officially launched its campaign on March 24th – less than three months before the issue is voted on in a national referendum.
The party is stepping up its ‘No to 10 million’ move with claims focusing on how a continued influx of foreigners will damage Switzerland’s economy and way of life – arguments that have been repeatedly rebuked by opponents.
READ MORE: Switzerland’s hard-right launches anti-immigration referendum campaign
Government warns jobseekers about fraudulent employment offers
The Federal Office of Cybersecurity (FOCS) is raising the alarm about job offers published on the fake websites of supposed Swiss companies.
These scammers not only advertise jobs that don’t exist at fake companies, but are also imitating existing ones and even publish job offers in newspapers and on specialised websites.
The FOCS is urging jobseekers to be cautious and vigilant in responding to these ads and, even more so, in paying money for access.
READ MORE: Swiss government warns of a new scam targeting job seekers
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Capping immigration would put Swiss universities at risk
If Swiss voters back the right-wing proposal to curb the number of foreigners coming into the country, the new law would have a “disastrous” effect on Swiss universities.
That’s because, according to Luciana Vaccaro, president of “Swissuniversities”, an umbrella group for higher-education institutions, about half of the professors at Switzerland’s universities are foreign nationals, who may no longer be allowed to teach under the new rules.
READ MORE: How would the Swiss anti-immigration initiative impact universities?
UN budget cuts have a negative effect on Geneva airport
Funding cuts by the United States resulted in hundreds of job losses within Geneva’s UN sector, but their impact has been felt beyond international organisations.
This drastic measure has had repercussions on the Geneva airport, Cointrin, as well, with fewer passengers flying into and out of this airport.
The reason these cuts have had such an impact on the airport is because travel by international civil servants from Geneva fell by 13 percent.
READ MORE: How job cuts in international organisations have hit Geneva
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Degree programmes at Swiss universities are among the best in the world
Switzerland’s universities not only consistently rank among the best overall globally, but their specific degree programmes also receive top scores in a new international ranking.
It ranked 28 degree curricula at 11 Swiss educational institutions among the top 10 worldwide.
Foremost among them is the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich (ETH), which excels in a number of technical subjects, scoring the top position in some.
READ MORE: The Swiss degree programmes that are among the ‘best in the world’
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The latest crime stats for Switzerland
Compared to the previous year, the number of infractions fell by 1.5 percent, primarily due to a 3.5-percent drop in thefts, which represent the largest share (41.7 percent) of crimes committed in Switzerland.
For instance, there had been fewer thefts of cars and thefts from vehicles, less property damage, and significantly fewer cases of pickpocketing.
However, the number of serious violent offences had increased by 8.1 percent. This includes homicides (55 in 2025, versus 48 the previous year).
READ MORE: What do the latest stats reveal about crime in Switzerland?
