Perpetual welfare recipient Unemployed German lawyer has to leave Switzerland
A German receives more than 320,000 francs in social welfare for years and wants even more. For seven years, the unemployed lawyer kept the Swiss courts busy until the Federal Supreme Court had the last word.
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- A German lawyer collects CHF 320,000 in social benefits in Basel-Stadt over more than ten years.
- The man loses his residence permit in 2020 as a result.
- But it was not until four years and seven rulings by the Federal Supreme Court later that the unruly German was deported.
For more than twelve years, a German man in Basel lived on welfare benefits and collected more than CHF 320,000 from the state between the end of 2008 and March 2021. The lawyer with a law degree had stated that he was unable to find a new job.
The cantonal migration office had already revoked the then 59-year-old's residence permit in 2020 after three years of legal investigations. Nevertheless, the unruly German was only deported a few weeks ago: On November 4, he was handed over to the German federal police by the Basel police.
This was preceded by years of legal wrangling, which the German had been dragging on and on since 2017 with all kinds of creative applications, as reported by the Basler Zeitung newspaper. In a tough legal dispute that ultimately lasted seven years, the Federal Supreme Court, among others, had to make seven rulings before the man left Switzerland.
He wanted to stay in Switzerland out of fear of Putin
The German lawyer had covered the authorities and courts with hundreds of documents and applications. He not only appealed against the revocation of his residence permit, but also demanded more money from the canton.
Legal side issues included old-age pensions and supplementary benefits, which were rejected by the Federal Supreme Court as "manifestly unfounded". The man had even appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The German tried to prevent his deportation with ever new arguments. After the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, he claimed to be exposed to the dangers of a nuclear attack in Germany. He also claimed that there were not enough bunkers and shelters in the neighboring country.
"Problematic conversational behavior"
Incidentally, the Federal Supreme Court denied that the man was unfit for work. On the contrary, he was "undisputedly fully fit for work" and the fact that he was unable to find a job was "largely due to his behavior". The judges found that he had not made the "necessary determination" to find a job.
In addition, the courts noted his "problematic interview behavior". The German was not able to "limit his urge to communicate to the essentials".
