Switzerland opens its borders
By Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva
Switzerland, right in the heart of Europe, but not in the European
Union, is opening its borders to EU member states. Under the Schengen
Agreement, which Switzerland is joining, cross-border passport checks
will be abolished.
The move is the latest in a long and complex series of bilateral
agreements which the Swiss government has negotiated with Brussels, in
order not to be isolated within Europe's powerful trade zone.
But the Swiss people have regularly indicated that they do not want
their country to join the EU, so getting their agreement on something as
sensitive as opening national borders was not easy.
"There was a highly controversial public debate," admits Urs Bucher,
head of Switzerland'
"Some people feared we would be opening our borders to criminals, and to
thousands of illegal immigrants, but we are convinced this won't
happen."
Increased security
In the end, the Swiss approved joining Schengen in a nationwide
referendum. One factor which swayed voters was the fact that, by joining
the Schengen area, Switzerland would have access to the Schengen
Information System (SIS), a Europe-wide electronic database containing
thousands of details of wanted or missing people, and stolen goods and
vehicles.
"This is a very valuable contribution to our security," says Luzius
Mader, deputy head of the Swiss justice and police department. "It will
allow us to carry out police work much more effectively.
In practice, what Schengen means is a much less visible presence at the
borders, and more selective but intense scrutiny behind the scenes. At
Switzerland'
drive straight through, but mobile border patrols can still check
anything they regard as suspicious.
So, in an office just a stone's throw from the border itself, Swiss
border police are already using the SIS.
"We get up to 1,000 calls a day from our colleagues in the field,"
explains Juergen Zumbuhl. "And with the SIS we can check the records of
a person or a vehicle right across Europe."
'A tonne of jam'
Nevertheless, for most people entering or leaving Switzerland, crossing
the border will be much faster.
In Geneva and Basel in particular, where tens of thousands of people
live in France or Germany, but work in Switzerland, queues at the border
have long been a source of irritation.
But those hoping to cross from one country to another without even
noticing may be disappointed. The most heavily used borders will still
have guards, now however wearing new blue Schengen uniforms, as opposed
to the old Swiss green.
One reason for this is that although Switzerland is joining Schengen, it
is not joining the European Customs Union. So, while systematic passport
checks will be abolished, checks for illegal goods will remain.
So does that mean that an empty-handed person will go straight through,
but someone with, for example, a jar of French jam, will be stopped?
"It depends how much jam," explains border police spokesman Michel
Bachar. "A tonne of jam we wouldn't be very happy about."
Principality exception
Perhaps the biggest visible change is taking place at an unexpected
spot: Switzerland'
"The principality of Liechtenstein is a special case," explains Mr
Mader. "Because contrary to what was expected, Liechtenstein will not
join Schengen at the same time as Switzerland, so we will have a new
external border there."
"It is a very curious situation
," he admits. "We will be putting up new controls at a place where there
has been no real border for 100 years."
In fact, Switzerland had hoped to avoid erecting a border with its tiny
neighbour, and even took security chiefs from EU member states on a trip
along its border with Liechtenstein in a bid to show them how peaceful
it was.
But EU policy demands that Schengen area external borders be controlled,
and Liechtenstein is no exception; border controls will be introduced
there until the principality itself joins Schengen too.
Record ballot
In joining Schengen, Switzerland has now adopted some of the EU's most
contentious policies, including the free movement of labour, the
relaxation of border controls, and the Dublin agreement on asylum.
Each bilateral agreement has been painstakingly negotiated with
Brussels, has been approved by parliament, and, in the case of Schengen,
Dublin and the free movement of labour, has gone to a nationwide
referendum for final approval.
Many might think it would be easier for Switzerland to simply join the
European Union, and spend its negotiating time contributing to EU policy
development.
But Swiss government officials have long memories; they point out that
Swiss voters rejected moves to join the EU back in 1992, and say there
is no indication they have changed their minds.
"Schengen is just one more step on the bilateral path," insists Mr
Bucher. "It is not a step towards EU membership."
Instead, on 8 February 2009, Swiss voters will be going to the polls for
a record sixth ballot on Switzerland'
they will be asked to approve an extension of the free movement of
labour to new EU members Romania and Bulgaria.
Many Swiss are uncomfortable with the prospect, fearing an influx of
cheap labour. The problem is, if they say no, all the other bilateral
agreements could be in jeopardy.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.
Published: 2008/12/12 08:19:01 GMT
Monday, 15 December 2008
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