Swiss court sets bar for foreign criminal expulsions

A Spanish getaway driver will not be expelled from Switzerland despite being convicted for his part in a robbery. The verdict from Switzerland’s highest court sets a precedent for so-called ‘hardship cases’ when deciding which foreign criminals should be deported. On January 1, 2017, a new Swiss law came into force. It allows courts to deport foreigners residing in Switzerland to their country of origin for a variety of offences, including murder, grievous bodily harm, sexual assaults or serious crime against property. One provision of the law instructs judges to consider whether a deportation would be a disproportionate measure in individual cases. This might take into account where the criminal was born, how long they have lived in Switzerland, whether they have children in the country and if they would have specific problems in relocating to their country of origin. On Thursday, the Swiss supreme court ruled that the Spaniard should be allowed to remain in Switzerland ...