The Mouvement Citoyens Genevois (MCG) wants employers to show that they cannot find a local candidate before employing a foreign national living in a border country, in Geneva’s case mainly France.
Swiss-French border crossing © Jerome Cid | Dreamstime.com
Supplementing the article in Switzerland’s federal constitution on mass immigration, the initiative dubbed “Frontaliers : stop!” will require employers to show that there are no locals that can fill a job vacancy before hiring a foreign cross-border resident.
Supporters of the initiative hope to control the issuance of G-permits. According to the MCG, currently around 100,000 people hold these permits, which allow non-Swiss commuters from border countries to work in Switzerland.
According to Federal Statistical Office data there were 84,215 foreign cross-border workers in Geneva in Q4 2017. Most were living in the French departments of Haute-Savoie (75%) and Ain (19%).
The party says cross-border workers are keeping locals out of the local job market, particularly young workers and over 50s, which is taking a toll on taxpayers and society.
They say the change will stop cross-border workers competing with local residents while allowing employers to take on staff that cannot be recruited locally.
The MCG has until 15 June to collect enough valid signatures.
More on this:
Initiative details (in French) – opens PDF – Take a 5 minute French test now
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