Switzerland must be able to manage immigration, says economiesuisse

Switzerland must have the possibility of managing immigration itself if it ‘exceeds tolerable limits’, believes the president of economiesuisse. Without such a protective measure, the agreement negotiated with the EU has no chance before the people, he says.

‘Switzerland benefits greatly from the free movement of people and we want to maintain it,’ says Christoph Mäder in an interview broadcast on Wednesday by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. If only because of demographic developments, the Swiss economy will continue to depend on qualified labor from abroad, he adds. ‘But immigration, as we have seen it in recent years, is too high.’

Asylum-related migration is, according to him, one of the main reasons for fear among the population. And current economic migration has little to do with labor market needs or the original purpose of asylum, he notes. ‘It increases the pressure on resources and marks the debate on immigration’.

But, he warns, ‘without a regular workforce from abroad, Switzerland would not be operational. I think the population knows that. Mr. Mäder is skeptical about an immigration tax to manage immigration, a tool he considers bureaucratic and ineffective.

The president of the Swiss Business Federation also notes that it is necessary for representatives of the economy to take the concerns of the population seriously. ‘But it is an effort that the economy cannot take on alone. The infrastructure is not designed to accommodate that many people. There is an urgent need to invest in this area.

/ATS