Switzerland could be forced to leave Schengen, warns Swiss minister
This week, Karin Keller-Sutter, Swiss Minister of Police and Justice, warned an assembly of EU ministers that Switzerland could be forced out of the Schengen area if a referendum scheduled for May 15, 2022 is successful, reported RTS.
The Schengen zone, which now includes 28 states and allows passport-free movement in much of Western Europe, was created in 1995. Switzerland has been part of it since December 12, 2008.
As a member of the zone, Switzerland has been funding an organization known as Frontex since 2009. Frontex is a agency responsible for controlling the borders of the Schengen area.
The agency is controversial. While some claim it prevents illegal immigration to Europe, others say it comes back and prevents some asylum seekers from seeking protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Concerns have also been raised about liability and the lack of oversight to ensure the agency complies with relevant laws.
Moreover, Frontex’s budget has increased. The initial budget in 2020 was 364 million euros. The budget for 2022 is €754 million, more than double the original 2020 budget.
In autumn 2021, the Swiss government and the EU agreed to increase their funding of Frontex. Switzerland’s contribution is expected to increase from CHF 24 million in 2021 to CHF 61 million in 2027.
After this parliamentary decision, a number of politicians and Swiss citizens opposed to Frontex began to collect the 50,000 signatures needed to launch a referendum aimed at annulling it. On January 20, 2022, the group announced that it had collected around 62,000 signatures, paving the way for a vote on the subject on May 15, 2022, reports RTS. Furthermore, the organizers of the vote say they want the dissolution of Frontex and the free movement of all migrants to Europe.
If successful, the referendum would jeopardize Switzerland’s membership of the zone. A “no” would mean an inevitable withdrawal, according to Karin Keller-Sutter. If there is a “no” to Frontex, then it is clear that we will have to leave the Schengen-Dublin zone, she told RTS.
According to Keller, others at the gathering of European leaders were unaware of the Swiss vote and were surprised by the news.
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