Entry bans and expulsion orders
In order to protect internal and external security, fedpol can issue entry bans against foreign nationals.
Based on Article 67 paragraph 4 and Article 68 of the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA), fedpol can issue entry bans and expulsion orders against foreign nationals who pose a threat to Switzerland’s internal or external security. It can do so on the basis of its own findings or at the request of other authorities, in particular the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS).
| Entry bans | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrorism | 65 | 144 | 92 | 19 | 81 |
| Violent extremism | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Organised crime | 12 | 4 | 25 | 15 | 16 |
| Espionage | 70 | 19 | 70 | 276 | 75 |
| Total | 160 | 167 | 187 | 312 | 173 |
In 2023, the majority of entry bans were issued for terrorism and espionage. fedpol issued 173 entry bans in 2023. This is 139 fewer than the previous year.
Espionage did not decrease, but returned to ‘normal’ levels. Levels reached a peak in 2022 following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Terrorism is also roughly back to the average of previous years. The same applies to organised crime.
| Expulsion orders | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrorism | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Organised crime | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Enforced | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Not enforced / yet | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
fedpol issued eight expulsion orders in 2023, four of which were issued against suspected terrorists. This is 5 more than in 2022. In its statistics, fedpol draws a distinction between enforced and non-enforced expulsions. This is because not every expulsion order can be implemented immediately. There are many reasons for this, such as the non-refoulement principle or because the person concerned is serving a prison sentence or in an appeal process.
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