Switzerland - EU Voluntary participation in EU asylum solidarity fails
Switzerland should not participate in the solidarity mechanism of the EU migration pact. On Thursday, the National Council rejected the corresponding part of the amendments to Swiss law by 84 votes to 81.
19.06.2025, 19:54
SDA
The draft failed due to 20 abstentions by the FDP. FDP representative Christian Wasserfallen (BE) argued that Switzerland's participation was not mandatory. The EU mechanism provides for the takeover of asylum seekers in the event of large numbers, financial resources or operational assistance.
The Federal Council had recommended voluntary participation in the corresponding article of the Asylum Act, which previously stipulated participation in the harmonization of EU asylum policy. The majority of the Commission added the condition that the Dublin system for the acceptance of asylum seekers by the country of first asylum application should work for Switzerland.
SVP vehemently against participation
Wasserfallen opposed both variants. FDP parliamentary group spokesman Peter Schilliger (LU) announced that the party would abstain from voting if the Council did not delete both. The SVP vehemently opposed participation.
Every asylum seeker came to Switzerland through an EU country. There was no need to pay for the failure of the Schengen system. Pascal Schmid (SVP/TG) said that 370,000 asylum seekers had entered the country since joining the Schengen/Dublin Agreement in 2008. At the time, the government had promised the people a reduction in asylum applications.
The Council had to decide on legal adjustments to the EU pact in four laws and rejected the first. It followed the Federal Council and its Foreign Affairs Committee on the other points. All four drafts will go to the Council of States.
In the entry debate, Federal Councillor Beat Jans warned that a no vote would end Switzerland's association with the Schengen/Dublin system. This would turn Switzerland into an external EU border - with the consequence of increasing numbers of asylum applications, as readmission would no longer be possible under the Dublin Agreement.
