Key Findings
Best practice (100% score)
Political liberties
Rights associated with labour market access
Favourable
Eligibility for labour market access
Critically unfavourable (0% score)
Fields of application of anti-discrimination law
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Overview
Though Switzerland develops its migration policies independently of the EU, referendums approved joining the Schengen zone and Dublin Convention on asylum. Policy initiatives have aimed to encourage labour migration from the EU-15, to delay immigration from the EU-8 and to restrict immigration from outside the EU altogether.
New arrivals come largely to reunite with relatives, study, or seek asylum, though the number of asylum seekers continues to fall. Switzerland has recently reinforced cooperation on integration policies between the federal, cantonal and local levels of government. Voters also approved an Aliens Bill that has worsened the eligibility, conditions, and security of long-term residence and family reunion permits.
Labour market access for non-EU nationals (hereafter ‘migrants') is slightly favourable, whereas policies on family reunion, long-term residence, political participation and access to nationality cluster around halfway to best practice. Switzerland's weakest policies are on anti-discrimination, where it ranks third from the bottom out of the 28 MIPEX countries, just above CZ and EE.
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Integration Policy Timeline
01/2006
Naturalisation fees to be fixed to the cost of procedures
02/2006
New integration policy in force
18/09/2006
UN special rapporteur on racism called racism a daily, structural phenomenon and criticised its political instrumentalisation and the lack of anti-discrimination laws
24/09/2006
Voter referendum approved new Aliens Law
Autumn 2006
Socialists and Radicals called for a real integration policy. Socialists proposed a budget of 14m CHF for obligatory courses and contracts between workers and employer or family members and the state
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Migrant Profile
