A 55 year-old man born in Switzerland set to be expelled

20 Minutes.

According to 20 Minutes, a Swiss court recently ruled that a 55 year-old Spanish citizen with a long criminal record, must leave Switzerland.

The man found himself in front of a judge for the first time at the age of 17 for bodily injury. Following that he was tried for theft, drug offenses, property damage, road violations, violence towards public officials, threatening behaviour and breaches of trust.

According to the Freiburger Nachrichten, the court of Fribourg recently decided that the repeat offender should be forced to leave the country.

The man plans to take his case to the higher Federal Tribunal to try to reverse the decision.

The man, who has been receiving a disability benefit since 2012, had his residency permit taken away by the migration service last year. Following this, the man went to Fribourg’s cantonal court, where the judges upheld the migration office’s decision. In making their decision the judges pointed out that despite 31 convictions and ten and a half years in prison, the man had not stopped reoffending, even after being threatened with expulsion. The court also decided the man posed a danger to the public.

While the court recognised that he was born in Switzerland and has lived his entire life on Swiss soil, it noted that he was not integrated into the Swiss workforce.

Unless the Federal Tribunal decides otherwise the man will be expelled and unable to visit his 17 year old son.

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