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.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
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Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
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Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
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The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
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Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
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Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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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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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.