Bern will never get back all the money paid on repatriation flights

Monday, 1 November 2021 04:00

The government will not get back all the money it paid out on repatriation flights in March last year.

As the world moved to Covid lockdowns, Bern chartered aircraft to bring back Swiss nationals from all over the world.

The operation cost CHF 7.5m.

Those on the flights are supposed to pay back 80%.

The Foreign Ministry sent out 1,700 invoices. CHF 600,000 is still missing and it’s certain CHF 200,000 will never be repaid.

Some claim they are too much in debt to pay and others put false addresses on the forms.

In eight cases, the sum will never be paid as the claimants have since died.

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