A committee of Switzerland’s Council of States wants to introduce an immigration levy on workers from the European Union if migration rises sharply after the Bilateral Agreements III enter into force, reported RTS.

Andrea Caroni, a member of the Council of States, says the measure could be used only after the Federal Council had successfully invoked the safeguard clause. Someone who had recently immigrated to Switzerland would then have to pay a fee once a year.

Mr Caroni said the levy would amount to at least CHF 4,000 a year. A lower charge would apply to people arriving under family reunification rules.

All the revenue raised would be redistributed to the population. Once the safeguard clause had been activated, the levy would also apply to immigrants from countries outside the EU.

The parliamentary commission said it believed the measure would encourage employers to make greater use of Switzerland’s domestic workforce. Companies would pay the levy for employees. Adults arriving under family reunification would be liable for it themselves.

The Federal Council has already proposed several possible safeguards, including quotas, but has neglected to consider what proponents of the levy view as a more sophisticated instrument. First, it would encourage Swiss companies to recruit domestically. Second, newcomers would make a contribution towards the costs associated with immigration. Third, the proceeds would give the resident population a direct financial benefit.

The proposal is not new. Avenir Suisse, a think-tank, floated a similar measure several years ago.

The Federal Council has raised legal objections. In a report published in early May examining three possible models for an immigration levy, it said that imposing such a charge on people from EU and EFTA countries would not be compatible with the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons. A levy on family members could also conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Council of States is due to examine this and a wider package of agreements with the EU during its autumn session.

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