Recent Vote to Reintroduce Quotas for EU Nationals Will Not Have Immediate Effect
February 11, 2014
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Swiss voters on Sunday approved a referendum that will eventually reintroduce annual quotas for European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Area (EFTA) nationals, but it will take Swiss lawmakers months or even years to write and approve legislation to implement the initiative. The referendum will not result in any immediate changes to Switzerland’s immigration system, and it will have no effect on current Swiss permit holders.
The long-term impact of the initiative remains unclear at this time and will largely depend on how it is implemented by Swiss lawmakers. Though the initiative requires quotas to be reintroduced for EU nationals, it did not mandate quota levels or how quota numbers should be allocated. There is no guidance on how another provision of the initiative – that employers be required to give hiring preference to Swiss candidates over foreign nationals – should be implemented.
What This Means for Employers
The initiative has the long-term potential to severely restrict business operations in, and immigration to, Switzerland. These effects could be mitigated, however, if the initiative is implemented in a way that minimizes bureaucratic hurdles, and if any new restrictions are geared towards supporting Switzerland’s “overall economic interests,” as the initiative requires.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
The long-term impact of the initiative remains unclear at this time and will largely depend on how it is implemented by Swiss lawmakers. Though the initiative requires quotas to be reintroduced for EU nationals, it did not mandate quota levels or how quota numbers should be allocated. There is no guidance on how another provision of the initiative – that employers be required to give hiring preference to Swiss candidates over foreign nationals – should be implemented.
What This Means for Employers
The initiative has the long-term potential to severely restrict business operations in, and immigration to, Switzerland. These effects could be mitigated, however, if the initiative is implemented in a way that minimizes bureaucratic hurdles, and if any new restrictions are geared towards supporting Switzerland’s “overall economic interests,” as the initiative requires.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
