Frontiers: their associations at the crossroads?

There are approximately 400,000 border workers (G license) in Switzerland. Among them, 240,000 come from France, 60%, half of them working in the Canton of Geneva alone. This number of French cross -border workers has doubled in fifteen years (including + 70% in Geneva). Switzerland thus welcomes half of the cross -border workers from the whole of France. This means the scale of the phenomenon.

However, associations that supervise and advise cross -border workers are still poorly known. The difficulties that the largest of them is currently experiencing, the European cross -border group (GTE)based in Annemasse in Haute-Savoie, at the gates of Geneva, encourage to look at the challenges they have to face.

In the Upper Rhine region, from north of Alsace to Basel, there have been four information units on cross -border questions known as infobest. Their access is free because they are funded by the French, German and Swiss public authorities concerned.

There are also various private associations, often supported by public power, which offer services to their border members. Created in 1963, the group of cross -border workers, which has become European cross -border group (GTE) In 2000, was especially present in Geneva and surroundings. The Frontier Associationbased in Morteau in the Doubs, born in Locle (ne) in 1962, mainly concerns the Franche-Comté, therefore the Jura arc, But go to Geneva (11,000 members). The Border worker Defense Committeein Saint-Louis in Haut-Rhin, created in 1958, is active in the region of Basel. L’Association of border aid Recruits in particular around Mulhouse in Haut-Rhin (2000 members). Further north, operatesAssociation of borders of the Grand-Estheaded in particular to Germany and Luxembourg.

In addition, a European border confederation appeared in March 2025 in response to the decision of theUNEDIC of Revise the unemployment benefits of cross -border workers downwards. Its objective of putting pressure on Paris and Brussels, it includes for the moment four associations: the association of border aid, the Amicale des Frontieriers, the Association of Frontieriers in Luxembourg (founded in 1998 in Thionville) and the association of Luxembourg border law in Luxembourg, newly created by Belgian Georges Gondon. They want others to join them. We’ll see…

Held on April 3, 2025 in Annemasse, the last general assembly of the GTE reported a disturbing situation. He claims 24,000 members, including 14,500 up to date, and lost 10,000 members and 22% of his revenue when the mutual health insurance for cross-border workers, with which he has been collaborating since 1964, ceased any contractual relationship in July 2023. Indeed, membership in the mutual insurance company almost automatically included the membership fee.

This of course undermined the financial balance, to the point that it was necessary to appoint an administrator to help the association to mop up a deficit of 400,000 euros by the frost of certain claims, the sprawl of reimbursements, etc. It will also be necessary to reduce expenses, which has already been started for the premises and will also receive staff. Voted on April 3 at the general meeting, the 2025 budget thus provides for a reduction of 21% of expenses and a contraction of the payroll of 260,000 euros.

Will that be enough? It will probably be necessary to resolve to increase ordinary contributions (currently 100 euros) and perhaps to ask the departments of Haute-Savoie (today a partner up to 258,000 euros) and Ain (162,000 euros in 2025) an exceptional additional contribution.

More fundamentally, these difficulties should encourage to redefine the role and functioning of cross -border associations. Because there is a substantive paradox: the more the number of cross -border workers increases, the more the number of members of the GTE decreases. In 2010, their number was half of the Geneva cross -border workers, today, it is only 1 in 5.

With modern digital means, an increasing number of people feel capable, rightly or wrongly, can inquire alone, without experiencing as much as in the past the need to join a collective structure. This trend, encouraging a certain form of individualism, is obviously stronger among young people. A recent survey of theURSSAF evaluated the average age of French cross -border workers in Switzerland at 42. At first glance, the average age of the participants in the last GTE GTE was a good ten (or even fifteen) over the next.

The associations of cross -border workers are however forced to innovate. Perhaps they will succeed, in parallel with the collective defense of cross-border workers, developing “à la carte” of targeted services on a paid basis, with different prices for members and others, and by raising the rate of contributions if their members feel satisfied with the services to accept it. These are just a few tracks.

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

0 comments