Expats reject voluntary registration system

The Swiss expatriate community has warned against a proposal to abolish the mandatory registration of citizens living overseas. The assembly also discussed a government report on e-voting and a row with France over inheritance tax. The Swiss Abroad Council, an assembly of more than 140 representatives from all over the world, unanimously rejected a voluntary reporting system as “incompatible with a draft law aimed at boosting the status of the expatriate community”. The meeting on Friday agreed that it is crucial for the authorities to be able to contact their citizens abroad in case of a crisis. Making registration of Swiss expatriates voluntary could also reduce the visibility of the community at a political level, it was claimed. Delegates, who had gathered in the mountain resort of Davos, also criticised shortcomings in a draft law dealing with political participation, information and insurance coverage for expats. Nevertheless, they agreed that the proposal, ...