Foreign nationals in Switzerland could be slapped with a ‘security tax’, and a look at claims the country is heading for its own version of Brexit — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Foreign nationals in Switzerland could be slapped with a ‘security tax’
MPs in Switzerland’s lower house, the National Council, have approved a right-wing motion that would require foreign nationals residing in the country to pay a fee to contribute to the security costs.
The tax would be modelled on the existing exemption tax for military service, which amounts to 3 percent of the annual taxable income, with a minimum payment of 400 francs a year.
The tax is payable for up to 11 years between the ages of 19 and 37.
MPs said that the same parameters would be used to calculate the amount of tax owed, as well as the duration of the obligation to pay.
READ MORE: Swiss MPs back a new ‘security tax’ on foreign residents in Switzerland
Will Switzerland experience its own version of Brexit?
As the momentum is growing ahead of Switzerland’s vote to cap immigration, many parallels are being drawn with the divisive 2016 Brexit referendum in the UK.
According to an expert, the two situations are comparable but not the same.
The most notable difference is that the United Kingdom was a fully-fledged member of the European Union, while Switzerland has never been – instead, it has had access to the EU internal market through wide-ranging bilateral agreements.
However, there are lessons to be learnt from the British experience – including the impossibility to control the flow of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers into the country.
READ MORE: Is Switzerland’s anti-immigration vote really another Brexit?
Switzerland wouldn’t cap immigration for several years
Even if the hard-right’s anti-immigration bid is approved at the ballot box on June 14th, the Swiss government would not enact the initiative right away.
In fact, nothing would happen until (and unless) Switzerland’s permanent resident population exceeds 10 million people before the year 2050.
Official Swiss statistics indicate that the country’s population is on track to hit that mark by the early 2040s.
It would then rise to 10.5 million by 2055.
READ MORE: When would Switzerland’s ‘No to 10 million’ initiative take effect?
The ‘No to 10 million’ initiative will likely be defeated
Even though earlier surveys indicated that the proposal would be approved in the June 14th national referendum, two newest polls show a different result – that is, Swiss voters look set to narrowly reject it.
Both polls found that the ‘no’ camp has been gaining strength in recent weeks, with 52 percent of voters now planning to turn down the hard-right’s bid to impose limits on immigration.
READ MORE: Switzerland’s anti-immigration initiative looks likely to fail, latest polls show
Switzerland will join the EU in migrant deportation scheme
The Swiss government will have to create a legal basis for establishing migrant hubs outside Europe, where rejected asylum seekers would be sent.
Aa a member of the Schengen area, Switzerland will participate in a series of measures adopted by the member states and the European Parliament, intended to speed up deportation processes of rejected asylum seekers .
READ MORE: Switzerland to take part in EU scheme to send migrants to ‘return hubs