Report from Switzerland

Summary

Introduction

Less than a decade ago, writing about the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in a wider Europe, Jörg Monar argued that ‘Switzerland has remained a “blank spot” right in the middle of the emerging EU internal security zone’ (Monar 2000: 15). The renowned professor of European studies then went on to describe the growing concern amongst European Union practitioners regarding the country's exclusion from common EU and Schengen cooperation and data exchange, ‘although’, as he pointed out, Switzerland's ‘border control and policing systems are of very high standard’ (ibid.).

At a later date, when discussing the package of seven agreements that the Swiss government signed with the EU on several matters – from free movement to road and air transport, to public procurement and research – Monar came to the conclusion that, because of the imposition of the EU principles and requirements, the Swiss case could be named another case of ‘unequal inclusion’ (Monar 2000). The extent to which the situation has changed from the time of Monar's publication is the topic of this chapter. Along with this investigation comes a preliminary assessment of Switzerland's current immigration system.

The system of admission policy

Before becoming a country with net immigration, Switzerland had long been a country with net emigration. The transformation of Switzerland into an immigration country occurred at the same time as the industrial take-off during the second part of the 19th century. It was the construction of the railway network that brought about a first wave of immigrants from the neighbouring countries. The proportion of foreigners in the total population increased from 3 per cent in 1850 to 14.7 per cent in 1910 (Mahnig & Wimmer 2003; see Table 1 and Table 2). It was not until 1888 that Switzerland's net migration became positive.

In 1931, the Bundesgesetz über Aufenthalt und Niederlassung der Ausländer (ANAG) was enacted. This Federal Law of Residence and Settle ment of Foreigners can be regarded as a ‘police law’ that was aimed at border control and the defence of the national territory. It was profoundly inspired by the international political context of the time, the economic crisis and a widespread xenophobia directed against a so-called Űberfremdung, an ‘over-foreignisation’ of Swiss society (Mahnig & Wimmer 2003).