Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Switzerland signs post-Brexit security provisions with Britain

Karin Keller Sutter and British Home Secretary Sajid Javid sign a contract
Karin Keller-Sutter and British Home Secretary Sajid Javid sign the contracts in London. Keystone / Frank Augstein

Switzerland has agreed with Britain to maintain the flow of information on organised crime and terrorism even if Brexit ends with a no-deal situation.

Swiss Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter travelled to London on WednesdayExternal link to sign a memorandum of understanding that would cement policing and security cooperation whatever happens with Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Should Britain leave the EU without a deal, “all information from the British security services will be deleted from key EU databases such as the Schengen Information System,” read a Swiss government statement.

“In this case Switzerland, as indeed all other states in the Schengen Area, would no longer have access to this valuable information, making it all the more necessary to find alternative forms of cooperation and other information channels.”

Switzerland already has agreements on bilateral cooperation on policing matters with 16 countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Austria and some eastern European states.

Keller-Sutter also rubber-stamped a previously announced deal covering workers taking jobs in each other’s respective countries. Switzerland and Britain have already agreed to preserve the rights for existing jobs.

The so-called “fallback agreement”, signed on Wednesday, goes one step to safeguard future access of new Swiss workers to the British labour market and the interests of firms in Switzerland seeking to recruit new British employees.

This agreement would only enter into force in the event of a no-deal Brexit and is limited in duration until December 31, 2020. In the event of an orderly Brexit the EU free movement of persons principle will continue to apply.

More


Most Read
Swiss Abroad

Most Discussed

News

More heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland

More

Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland

This content was published on Copper and zinc can be expected to accumulate in the soil, particularly if farmyard manure is used for several years and is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed by the grass. This was announced by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on Friday. The findings are based on the results of the seventh National Soil Monitoring of Switzerland (Nabo).

Read more: Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland
The Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen, Switzerland.

More

Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland

This content was published on A Kurdish supporter of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda can stay in Switzerland, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled. It has withdrawn the annulment of the man’s provisional admission.

Read more: Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland
Dieselgate scandal: In 2015 it emerged that millions of VW diesel-powered vehicles had been manipulated to pass environmental standards.

More

Swiss prosecutors close VW ‘Dieselgate’ case

This content was published on The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has closed criminal proceedings relating to the Swiss owners affected by the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.

Read more: Swiss prosecutors close VW ‘Dieselgate’ case
Employment prospects remain stable in the fourth quarter

More

Q4 job prospects in Switzerland remain stable

This content was published on The employment outlook in Switzerland will remain stable towards the end of 2024, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.

Read more: Q4 job prospects in Switzerland remain stable
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida.

More

Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

This content was published on A former Miss Switzerland candidate has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in New York in 1993. The US Republican candidate’s campaign team has denied the accusations.

Read more: Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR