Switzerland: Migration quotas versus market access. CEPS Commentary October 2016

Abstract

The Swiss parliament last month gave up on attempts to introduce quotas for foreign residents when it became obvious that any such move would violate Switzerland's obligations on freedom of movement under bilateral agreements with the European Union. The parliament's decision is expected to defuse the latest tension in EU-Swiss relations, which erupted in February 2014 when Swiss voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment to introduce mandatory quotas for foreign residents, including EU citizens. Parliamentarians have now put continued access to the Union’s internal market above the political imperative for tighter immigration controls. But their choice does nothing to address the dynamic underlying the bilateral relationship, which is unfavourable to Switzerland and becoming more so as time passes.