Customs shortages: union asks for means and security (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Guarantee reporting shortages of personnel, training and equipment to Swiss customs
• Episode of August 20 in Thônex: shooting with an injured person
• Obsolete weapons in use: MP5 of almost 50 years, P30 pistols without warranty
• Request: adequate staff, reinforced training, suitable infrastructures

Key facts

• Who: Swiss Customs Staff Guarantee Union
• What: Alert about critical shortages of personnel, training and equipment
• When: Recent announcement; episode of 20 August in Thônex
• Where: Swiss borders; specific episode in Thônex (Geneva)
• Body: UDSC (Federal Office of Customs and Border Security)
• Request: Adequate means, reinforced security and suitable infrastructure

The call of the union

The Garanto union today launched an official alert about the increase in cross-border crime, calling on the federal government to urgently upgrade personnel, specialised training and modern equipment for Swiss customs.

The alert follows the violent incident on 20 August in Thônex, where gunfire exploded near the border with one person injured. According to Garanto, this escalation of crime shows that the operational reality on the territory has changed rapidly, while customs remains a prisoner of frozen resources and obsolete equipment.

Documentation of deficiencies

Garanto documents a worrying situation in

Operational details

Impact on commuting Ticino-Italy

The cross-border crime documented in the episode of 20 August in Thônex illustrates a concrete reality for those who transit daily at the Ticino-Italy crossings (Chiasso, Brogeda, Gaggiolo, Ponte Tresa). Garanto does not denounce abstract deficiencies, but operational conditions that directly affect border workers.

Reported shortfalls include: insufficient staff, reduced safety training, crumbling infrastructure, and outdated equipment. These problems are not isolated: when customs operate with limited resources, the effects have an impact on the quality of the customs service — transit processing times, detection of abnormal situations, reactivity to security emergencies.

The permessi frontalieri system represents the legal basis for daily commuting between Ticino and Italy, but this mobility also depends on the efficiency and security of customs gates. Organizational deficiencies and inadequate equipment directly compromise this experience.

The UDSC paradox

Garanto underlines a fundamental paradox: the UDSC contributes significantly to the revenue of the Confederation through customs duties and controls, yet remains subject to federal savings programs. This creates a disconnect between assigned responsibilities (border security, revenue) and allocated resources.

For the border crossing, this means that the safety of critical crossings

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Key points

What we can expect in the coming months

The alarm raised by Garanto opens a political window. The federal government must respond with concrete resources, or the issue will remain an empty promise. Cross-border workers who daily transit through the Ticino border crossings should pay attention to developments, because waiting times and security levels at the checkpoints directly reflect the state of funding of Swiss customs.

Garanto has spelled out the requests: adequate staff, specialized security training, modern equipment (replacement of MP5 and obsolete pistols), and suitable infrastructures. If the federal government welcomes these demands, the improvement will first affect the efficiency of the border crossings.

Strategies for cross-border workers

Until concrete federal resources arrive, those who frequently transit the Ticino-Italy crossings can adopt some precautions. Checking in advance the waiting times at the main customs stations allows better planning during peak hours. Keeping documentation (G Permit, passport, customs documents) in order speeds up transits, especially if customs operates understaffed.

Reporting anomalies — lack of effective controls, systematic delays, suspicious situations — to local customs authorities helps document the real impact of shortcomings. These data can support future funding requests by Garanto and cross-border workers associations.

Tools and monitoring

To check waiting times at the main Ticino-Italy crossings and plan transits, consult the official information on crossings. If you are a cross-border worker and want to verify the economic convenience of the Swiss cross-border regime, our tax calculator for cross-border workers lets you simulate your payroll and tax situation compared to alternatives of working in Italy.

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