(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Gabriela Purtschert grew up in Ecuador, with Swiss values, Swiss cheese and a longing to study in Switzerland one day. Today, after 16 years in Switzerland, she is to be deported. Because she lacks what many of her relatives have: a red passport. This content was published on October 10, 2025 - 14:00 7 minutes

In my work, I focus on topics that are relevant to Swiss citizens abroad – from political developments in Switzerland and their impact on the diaspora to social, economic, and cultural issues. Before joining SWI swissinfo, I worked as a local journalist for the Aargauer Zeitung. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Multilingual Communication and, as is typically Swiss, completed an apprenticeship as a commercial employee.

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From the outside, everything looks like a classic Swiss career: federal school-leaving certificate, degree, doctorate. A sought-after employee in times of skills shortages. But now Purtschert, 36, is about to be deported – even though she has lived in Switzerland longer than many of her relatives with a Swiss passport.

That it could come to this is due to a peculiarity of her background – and a crucial legal detail. The origin of this story leads to Pfaffnau in canton Lucerne, a village on the border with cantons Bern and Aargau with surprisingly many connections to South America.

Pfaffnau is the Heimatort, place of origin, to an estimated 100 Swiss emigrants in Ecuador, including the family of Purtschert's adoptive father. Purtschert herself is registered in the civil register as the daughter of a Swiss man and a Swiss woman. However, unlike her younger brothers, the Heimatort box is empty, as she kept her Ecuadorian citizenship.

More More Swiss oddities Heimatort, sweet Heimatort: the unique Swiss concept of home

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