Credit crunch refugees set to cross Swiss border

Steve McQueen - La Grande Fuga
Originally uploaded by TheLaKe

At least these days, getting into Switzerland is a lot less problematic than it was way back then. And crossing the border is about to become a cunning way out of France's forthcoming economic woes. Thousands of hard-up Frenchies are already packing up their troubles in their old kit bags and heading towards the safe haven helvétique.

Despite a few high-profile banks having to grovel to the Swiss Central bank, the economy is strong, salaries make a mockery of Gallic pay-packets, jobs are relatively easy to come by and the Swiss Franc has today reached its highest level against the Euro since March 2003.

The average salary of CHF 5000 (roughly 3300 euros) is sniffed at by most, especially those who enjoy thirteen months pay in a year. And the recent bi-lateral agreements allow anyone in Europe to work in Switzerland - you can literally commute from Grimsby (UK) to Geneva if you've had enough of working down your local fish market.

All these facts have not escaped the attention of the 200,000 or so frontaliers who cross the Swiss border every day to benefit from this pocket of prosperity in a world of doom and gloom. The Swiss authorities believe that a shock increase in applications to work could be one of the effects of the global downturn, as unemployment bites throughout France and an increasing mobile workforce descend on the frontier zone.

A suivre......