This week, Karin Keller-Sutter, Switzerland’s minister of police and justice, warned a gathering of EU ministers that Switzerland could be forced to leave the Schengen zone if a referendum scheduled for 15 May 2022 is successful, reported RTS.
The Schengen zone, which now includes 28 states and allows passport-free movement across much of western Europe, was created in 1995. Switzerland has been part of it since 12 December 2008.
As a member of the zone, Switzerland has been funding an organisation known as Frontex since 2009. Frontex is an agency tasked with controlling the borders of the Schengen zone.
The agency is controversial. While some claim it prevents illegal immigration into Europe, others say it returns and blocks some asylum-seekers from claiming protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Concerns have also been raised around accountability and a lack of oversight to ensure the agency complies with relevant laws.
In addition, Frontex’s budget has been rising. The original budget in 2020 was 364 million euros. The budget for 2022 is 754 million euros, a figure more than double the original 2020 budget.
During the autumn of 2021, Switzerland’s government, along with the EU, agreed to increase its funding of Frontex. Switzerland’s contribution is expected to rise from CHF 24 million in 2021 to 61 million in 2027.
After this parliamentary decision, a number of Swiss politicians and members of the public began collecting the 50,000 signatures required to launch a referendum to reverse the decision to boost Frontex funding. On 20 January 2022, the group announced it had collected around 62,000 signatures, clearing a path for a vote on the subject on 15 May 2022, reported RTS. In addition, vote organisers say they want Frontex disbanded and free movement for all migrants to Europe.
If the referendum is successful, it could put Switzerland’s membership of the zone at risk. A “no” vote would signify an unavoidable withdrawal, according to Karin Keller-Sutter. If there is a “no” to Frontex, then it is clear that we will have to leave the Schengen-Dublin zone, she told RTS.
According to Keller, others at the gathering of European leaders were not aware of the Swiss vote and were surprised by the news.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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Mrs. Peace says
I completely disagree with the statements of our minister, Mrs Keller-Sutter and I do not accept her erroneous informations.
The vote of 18 May is not about saying NO to Frontex, but NO to Switzerland increasing its financial participation from CHF 24 to 64 million and NO to sending Swiss border guards! The European budget has doubled between 2020 and 2022 (754 million euros)! What is the use of all these millions?
Frontex collaborates, for example, with the Libyan coast guards, which intercepts boats of migrants and forcibly returns them to Libya, where they are detained in conditions of massive violence.
At the EU’s external border in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thousands of migrants live in inhuman conditions. They are systematically pushed back, beaten and humiliated by Croatian border police when trying to cross the border into Croatia and the EU.
These scandalous facts have been demonstrated by numerous reports and videos in Switzerland.
That is why I will vote YES for this referendum.
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Mrs. Peace says
Of course, I helped that the referendum succeeded and will vote NO on the 15th of May against this law!
Mrs. Peace
MR Bean says
Keep funding Frontex.
And Frontex, you useless cunts, please start directing your funds to building essentials for Africa and middle east.
$10,000 well, $20,000 school and permaculture education, $10,000 gardening materials, $100,000 cultural identity centre. Total: $140,000 could keep an entire village happy, patriotic, and in their country. Or, if you’re stupid enough it will pay for 5 people to live in Switzerland on benefits for 1 year.
The recipe for the destruction of Europe:
-The Anglo nations, France and Germany divide and ruin the middle east.
-Migrants rightfully flee to Europe.
-Europeans and migrants become divided by the media and cultural differences. They need a sense of community, great, but an 80 year old lady in the mountains need not hear gangster rap and spitting on her way to buy apples from the supermarket.
Intelligent integration is possible, and it can be peaceful, but not when some ‘unmentionable’ religious cults are pushing for this division in Europe (a group who by the way allow zero migrants into their own country) Guessed who?
Now is the time to protect Europe, but this also means putting an end to selling weapons (which the swiss do), and instead providing reasons why migrants can enjoy their own nation, which they are often forced to leave.