As a consequence, many people are afraid to claim financial help. For example, some pensioners refuse top-up payments for this reason, say elderly rights groups.
Speaking at the Bern conference, Swiss Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said welfare payments should be a right for Swiss residents.
Poverty should not be considered a crime, she added.
Parliament is currently debating whether to revoke the welfare condition for residency, but the two chambers have failed to agree on this motion.
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I’m an expat and I lost my job. What now?
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Losing a job is difficult enough, but when it happens in a foreign country, it can be devastating.
Direct trains to run from Zurich to Florence and Livorno
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The Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia will offer direct trains from Zurich to Florence and Livorno and vice versa from 2026.
Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
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The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.
More than 400,000 cross-border commuters now work in Switzerland
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More than half of all cross-border commuters were resident in France (around 57%). Large proportions also lived in Italy (23%) and Germany (around 16%).
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
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Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
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One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
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At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
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Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
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‘Fear of being forced to leave Switzerland is growing’
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Many immigrants have been hard hit by the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. New regulations mean that many fear taking welfare.
Integration becomes key factor for residency permits
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Parliament decided on Monday to revise the ‘foreigners law’, firstly by renaming it the ‘foreigners and integration law’. The changes mean that long-term residency C-permitsExternal link will be only be given to people who respect public security and order, uphold the values of the federal constitution, contribute to the economy or take part in training…
Many struggling pensioners reluctant to request state benefits
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Around 230,000 elderly in Switzerland do not receive the supplementary benefits they are entitled to, a rights group says.
Swiss court backs residency request of welfare recipient
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The Federal Administrative Court has overturned the decision of the State Secretariat for Migration to refuse residence permits to the children of a foreigner who received social assistance while studying in Switzerland.
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