Italian and Swiss police will on Friday start out joint patrols at the Como-Ponte Chiasso crossing aimed at countering illegal immigration and cross-border crime, the interior ministry said in a statement.
"Patrols will begin on Friday and will be inaugurated at border police headquarters in Como-Ponte Chiasso in a ceremony attended by interior ministry undersecretary Nicola Molteni," said the statement.
The joint patrols will initially occur every two months "and will then be progressively intensified in agreement with Swiss authorities...stepping up operational cooperation between the two sides," the statement said.
The joint patrols follow an agreement signed between Italy and Switzerland on 18 February and will take place in the Swiss canton of Ticino and in the province of Como, according to the statement.
