Sans-papiers in Switzerland under COVID-19

![CDATA[Switzerland was one of the worst affected countries by COVID-19 in March 2020. On a per-capita basis it topped the global list of COVID-19 infections. Two major reasons for this are Switzerland’s strong tourism industry and its role as a major meeting point for business in Europe. After realising how exposed Switzerland is to this new biological threat, the government took drastic measures, imposing an ‘extraordinary situation’, which provides the Federal government special powers in times of crisis. Since the initial heavy exposure to the virus, Switzerland has drastically improved its response to the threat and successfully flattened the curve. Switzerland has introduced a plan to ease restrictions but the reported behaviour of the public in response to this has raised significant concerns regarding a second wave of infections. This contribution will examine the plight of illegal immigrants in Switzerland in the context of this pandemic, a group whose particular vulnerabilities also represent a systemic threat to the health response.]]