Swiss lawmakers on Monday called on the government to take a tougher stance against Russian spies operating in the country — center of international activity, where it is believed that there are many spies.
After a vote in the lower house of parliament last year, the upper house voted overwhelmingly on Monday to systematically expel spies who pose a threat to Switzerland's national security or diplomatic status, AFP writes. 32 deputies voted for this step, 9 were against and 2 more — abstained.
Expulsion of spies from Switzerland
The vote was aimed at what is feared to be a growing number of Russian spies in Switzerland following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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During the debate, parliamentarians emphasized that spies often appear in the diplomatic corps and can enjoy diplomatic immunity.
Last year, Switzerland's Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) warned that the country was one of the European states with the largest number of Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover.
FIS chief Christian Dussy has suggested that about a third of the approximately 220 people accredited as diplomatic or other personnel to the Russian mission in Geneva are intelligence operatives.
— Switzerland, as the seat of international organizations and a state in the center of Europe, is an attractive location for intelligence services, — said Socialist Party MP Roth Franziska during Monday's debate.
Spies of China and the Russian Federation in Europe
She pointed to intelligence agency estimates that one in five Russian spies in Europe are in Switzerland, and lamented that “no other country in Europe is said to accept there are more Russian agents than us”.
In addition to Russia, the FIS said last year it believes China has also sent dozens of spies to the Alpine country.
— The threat to Switzerland from foreign espionage, mainly Russian and Chinese, remains high, — the organization stated at the time.
Monday's debate also noted the importance of maintaining confidence in the international center in Geneva, where the European headquarters of the United Nations is located, as well as a wide range of UN agencies and other international organizations.
— We cannot be the soft side of Europe when it comes to espionage, and we cannot leave international Geneva at the mercy of these spies, — said Carlo Sommaruga of the Socialist Party.
Defense Minister Viola Amherd told parliament that the government supports the proposal, noting that it is important to make it clear that the country will not “tolerate activities that jeopardize Swiss security” ;.
But she emphasized that this could not “lead to any automatic actions” and that each case “must be considered and decided individually”.
