The Swiss government will create a task force to deal with foreign criminals who are repeat offenders.
The aim of the aptly named “Multi-repeat offender task force,” to be implemented from June 2025, will be to ensure that serial criminals in Switzerland are systematically detained and deported to their countries 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.
How will it work?
The cantons and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will identify foreign nationals who have repeatedly committed offences in Switzerland.
“After selecting priority cases, the task force will use a case management system to ensure that all available options for coercive measures are utilised, and that all stages of the procedure are optimally coordinated,” the government said.
“The pilot project also aims to highlight best practices, challenges, and necessary changes to the legal framework.”
The ultimate objective is to systematically detain repeat foreign offenders and enforce removals, “which requires close collaboration between the competent migration officials and federal and cantonal criminal prosecution authorities.”
How many foreign nationals have been deported from Switzerland, and who were they?
In 2023 (the last statistics available to date), 2,250 foreigners were ordered to leave Switzerland.
By the end of the first half of 2024, around 73 percent of them had left Switzerland, either voluntarily or under police escort, the government figures show.
A third of those who left Switzerland were nationals of an EU or EFTA member state, mainly from Romania, France and Italy.
As for third-country nationals, they most often came from Albania, Algeria and Morocco. More than 90 percent of departures were men, mostly aged between 18 and 54.
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Under what circumstances can Switzerland order foreigners to leave the country?
In 2017, Switzerland enforced a law allowing it to expel foreign nationals guilty of serious crimes.
These ‘serious crimes’ were defined as “warranting at least a three-year prison sentence, including murder, rape, serious sexual assault, violent acts, armed robbery, as well as drug and people trafficking.”
Terrorism or sympathising with extremist organisation also warrants expulsion.
Interestingly enough, “abuse of the Swiss social security system” was also included under the “serious” crimes category at that time.
The criteria, has, however, been updated since then; for instance, ‘incitement to hatred’ — that is, threatening or provoking words, behaviour, or material — is on the list of crimes that could trigger the mandatory expulsion of foreigners.
When issued by Swiss courts, “expulsions involve removal [of foreigners] from Switzerland or the Schengen area and a ban on entering Switzerland or the Schengen area for a certain period of time,” according to the Federal Council.
