Switzerland moves to rein in immigration from EU

The Swiss government has unveiled a draft bill imposing limitations on immigration from the European Union (EU) into Switzerland if approved.

The government said on Wednesday it would present the draft to political parties, professional organizations, unions and other interested parties for consultation.

The move came a year after Swiss voters narrowly approved measures, pushed by the populist right-wing Swiss People’s Party, aimed at curbing immigration from the EU.

The government, which opposed the move, is under pressure to implement the will of the voters, despite the fact that the curbs would put the country on collision course with the EU.

The EU and Switzerland clinched a package of accords 13 years ago that facilitated the free movement of people, although the country is not an EU member.

The Swiss government says the draft law, which will go on to be debated in the parliament after consultations, will take effect in February 2017 if approved.

It urges the reintroduction of work and residence permit quotas for any EU citizens remaining in the country for longer than four months.

Ties with EU in danger

Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga, who also currently holds the country’s rotating presidency, said Wednesday that Bern is trying to find a solution that could maintain the bilateral agreements with Brussels.

Sommaruga said that the government would do everything in its power to “square the circle.”

The president said that Bern and Brussels plan to start “intense consultations” on the controversial issue. “The positions are very far apart, and there is not much maneuvering room,” she acknowledged.

The EU, however, said it cannot accept any limits on the right of free movement of the citizens of the bloc.

The draft law will also limit the movement of tens of thousands of European citizens who commute to Switzerland daily.

Figures show some 80,000 foreigners, most of them from the EU, annually immigrate to Switzerland, where a quarter of the eight-million population are foreign nationals.

The government has warned that some sectors in the country would face a worker shortages due to the proposed bill.

DB/HJL/HMV

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