Swiss Federal Councilor, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) Karin Keller-Sutter has warned European Union interior ministers that her country may have to leave the Schengen area if the Swiss population votes against strengthening Frontex in a referendum to be held in the middle of May of this year.
“If there is a ‘no’ to Frontex, it is clear that we will have to leave the Schengen-Dublin area,” adviser Keller-Sutter said at a meeting of interior ministers held last week in Lille, France, according to SchengenVisaInfo.com.
As an EU member state, Switzerland has been co-financing since 2009 Frontex, the agency responsible for protecting the external borders of the Schengen area. While the agency’s 2020 budget was 364 million euros, the EU doubled the 2022 budget to 754 million euros.
As a result, Switzerland’s contribution to the agency’s budget is also expected to increase from CHF 24 million in 2021 to CHF 61 million in 2027, if the Swiss government and the EU agree to do so.
However, some Swiss politicians and citizens dissatisfied with the work of Frontex collected 62,000 signatures, 12,000 more than needed to organize a referendum to say no to an increase in Switzerland’s contribution to the Frontex budget.
“The refusal to strengthen Frontex will indeed lead to the almost inevitable withdrawal of Switzerland from the agency,” the Council member told those present.
If the people of Switzerland decide against strengthening Frontex, Switzerland and the rest of the Schengen countries will have 90 days to find a common solution. If no solution is found, then in three months Switzerland will be forced to leave the country.
After the meeting in Lille, Keller-Sutter told RTS that those present were quite surprised by her statements.
“I got the impression that they were quite surprised by this statement, because they were completely unaware,” she said.
Switzerland signed the Schengen Agreement on October 26, 2004 and began its implementation on December 12, 2008. The country is not part of the European Union, although it maintains close ties to the bloc and has brought some of its laws, in particular those relating to freedom of movement, into line with those of the EU.
This is not the first time that the Swiss authorities fear that the results of the referendum could jeopardize the country’s membership in the Schengen area.
In May 2020, another referendum was held in the country, initiated by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which intended to end the freedom of movement of EU citizens in Switzerland. This referendum was called the “Brexit moment”, but the people of Switzerland voted against it.