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Founded in Geneva in 1996 under the auspices of the Council of Europe, FEDRE has always focused on cross-border regions. In 2023, it formed a partnership with Crédit Agricole next bank to study the border effect along Switzerland’s periphery in various fields, some of which go unnoticed by the general public. Following Issue 1, which addressed food aid; Issue 2, which tackled challenges in the healthcare sector; Issue 3, which presented a vital topic for our regions—water; Issue 4, which focused on culture; and then the sensitive issue of who compensates unemployed cross-border workers, here is an attempt to look into the future, with the suggestion of creating a border resident card granting access to certain services.
The idea of introducing a resident card in certain European cities that grants access to various public services regardless of nationality—or even a residence permit—is gaining traction. It’s very much in vogue, so much so that we’ve recently seen it applied to cross-border contexts. What should we make of this?
How the idea came about
In Europe, several major cities have introduced or are seeking to introduce a card that allows all city residents—including undocumented immigrants—to access certain public services. Based on the criterion of residence, the underlying concept is that of so-called “inclusive” citizenship, open to as many people as possible, if not everyone.
As with many things these days, the idea originated in the United States; in this case, in New York City, which launched an urban “ID card” called IDNYC in 2015, primarily to enable undocumented residents to access services—a program that was later expanded to all residents. Several European cities have recently drawn inspiration from this, such as Zurich, which will launch the Züri City Cardin May 2022 following a City Council decision; or Liège, which is developing a “Carte ardente” (Liège being nicknamed “The Fiery City”). In Geneva, Professor Cattacin’s sociology team at the University is working according to this logic, which also drives, on the political front, the “Une Vie ici, une Voix ici” initiative submitted to the people of the Canton on June 9, 2024, and aimed at extending the right to vote to all foreigners who have been residing there for eight years.
In recent weeks, a similar concept has emerged in France through the deliberations of the Cross-Border Operational Mission (MOT) on “Cross-Border Living Areas” (BVT). This body is tasked with making proposals to various ministries regarding cross-border relations throughout France, and its president happens to be the mayor of Annemasse, Christian Dupessey, in his capacity as president of the French Genevois Urban Cluster. Admittedly, nothing is certain at this point, but it seems worthwhile to give this issue some thought, if only as a precautionary measure.
The idea of a cross-border card
A desire to better account for the ever-increasing mobility that characterizes our modern societies—whether in major cities or in the urbanized outskirts of countries—is surely one factor that can explain the gradual shift toward this line of thinking.
In its argument, the MOT highlights the risk of border closures, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. In such a scenario, obtaining a card identifying them as cross-border workers would continue to ensure that they can move freely and thus continue to work.
We could also consider more targeted applications, limited to a specific area, such as the proposal for a cross-border health insurance card for residents of a designated zone. It would be issued along with proof of residence and would provide access to hospitals, clinics, and outpatient care on both sides of the border. This would require a likely lengthy process of consultation, for example between social security systems and health insurance funds, and in particular resolving the issue of the cost differential for healthcare between France and Switzerland. This is therefore not imminent, but we can hope that some progress will be made to overcome the obstacles and imbalances currently affecting the crucial healthcare sector along the Franco-Swiss border. At this stage, the MOT is considering (will this be adopted later?) that reimbursement be made at the French rate and that any additional costs be automatically billed to the primary health insurance fund (CPAM) and the cross-border worker’s supplemental health insurance provider.
This obviously raises complex issues, but we must emphasize that there is an urgent need to address them. It should be noted, however, that the institutional differences in the health sector between France and Switzerland do not facilitate dialogue: the cantons on the Swiss side, and on the French side the Regional Health Agencies (ARS), which report directly to the central government (Ministry of Social Affairs), with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes agency based in Lyon, the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté agency in Dijon, and the Grand-Est agency in Nancy. Could the relevant ARSs be equipped with a dedicated Border Affairs Directorate?
A "border ID" card? The importance of word choice
To have any chance of success, we believe it is essential to adopt a clearly functional approach from the outset—one aimed at improving residents’ quality of life—and to avoid carelessly handling concepts related to politics, democratic principles, and state authority.
This is important because social scientists often use the term “citizen” to refer to the concrete reality of living in a particular place, regardless of political citizenship. Indeed, it is almost certain that tensions will arise as soon as these initiatives are presented in the forms—sometimes mentioned—of a “Greater Geneva ID Card” or a “Cross-Border Citizen Card.” Let’s adopt more neutral terms that simply describe an objective fact, such as “Resident Card” or “Greater Geneva Resident Card.”