Switzerland passeurs
A simple stone wall marking the Swiss-French border is still standing in Risoux forest
their role in history
A small group of young people in Switzerland defied the Nazis by smuggling Jews across the border from occupied France, working with networks of resistance fighters, spies and ordinary civilians. Swiss custom officers had orders to arrest fugitives they found at the border and send them back. The passeurs were shunned and accused of profiteering, told their actions were illegal and jeopardised Switzerland's neutrality. At the same time, they risked being added to the blacklist of Swiss who would be arrested were Germany to invade.