Switzerland prolongs immigration limits for Bulgarians and Romanians

Many immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania work seasonally on Swiss farms. Keystone

The Federal Council decided on Wednesday to prolong the so-called safeguard clause built into the freedom of movement agreement with Bulgaria and Romania, limiting the number of workers that can immigrate over the next year to under 1,000.

Between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019, a total of 996 work permits can be issued to Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants, the government said. The decision repeats that taken in June last year, which first activated the safeguard clause.

Freedom of movement for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania entered into force in June 2016, but with the option to limit the number of permits issued annually if this is to the benefit the native workforce. The clause can be invoked until 2019.

Like last year, the Swiss cabinet was particularly concerned that a high proportion of workers from these two countries took on seasonal work in an industry with above-average unemployment rates.

They also said that between 2016 and 2017, just after the introduction of free movement, net migration from Bulgaria and Romania more than doubled amid a contrasting trend of declining immigration rates from other EU countries.

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Switzerland first activated such a safeguard clause – a controversial instrument of its complex dealings with the EU – in 2012, to limit the number of citizens arriving from certain new member countries who joined the EU in 2004.

Bern also chose to extend the clause to all EU member states the following year, but was sharply rebuked by Brussels; ever since, the limits cannot be applied to the 17 ‘original’ member states of the EU – those who joined prior to 2004.