Swiss look to stamp out 'death tourism'

The Swiss government is considering stamping out what has been dubbed ‘death tourism’, the practice of travelling to Switzerland where assisted suicide is accepted.

According to reports, Swiss authorities want to ensure assisted suicide is the final resort for the terminally ill following concerns over the rise in visitors to the country for euthanasia.

It transpired, following a report last year, that increasing numbers of people travelling for assisted suicide were not terminally ill.

"We have no interest, as a country, in being attractive for suicide tourism," the Swiss justice minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, told reporters in Berne.

The Swiss government is currently debating whether or not to enforce more restrictive measures on the practice of Euthanasia or enforce an outright ban.

"Suicide must only be a last resort. The government believes that protection of human life must be uppermost," the Swiss justice ministry said in a statement.

“Assisted suicide should be restricted to the terminally ill and not be available to chronically or mentally ill individuals.”

Each year there are an average of 400 cases of assisted suicide in Switzerland, 132 of which involve foreigners.