Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter plans to reintroduce the free movement of people with the EU countries and freedom of travel for the whole Schengen area on June 15th. Germany and France also want the freedom to travel again.
Almost a month before the summer holidays, the competition started to show who opened the borders the fastest. Nobody in Europe wants to be late in the struggle for tourists. Italy opened its borders unilaterally on June 3. On June 3, Austria also announced that it would end border and health controls on neighboring countries. With the exception of Italy.
Switzerland is also planning an exemption. The Justice and Police Department wants to re-establish the free movement of people with the EU states and freedom of travel in the Schengen states on June 15th. The regulation should also apply to Italy.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION MAKES IT POSSIBLE
The Federal Council already communicated on May 27 that the restrictions on entry to Switzerland, admission to the labor market, and residence should be lifted for all Schengen countries “from mid-June to July 6 at the latest”. If the epidemiological situation allows it.
This situation has now developed so favorably in Switzerland and throughout the EU / Efta area that it should be possible on June 15th. That is why the Department of Justice wants to submit the full opening of the borders to the Schengen states to the entire Federal Council in one week. In collaboration with the interior and finance departments. They are responsible for the epidemiological aspects and the border controls.
MARIO GATTIKER ATTENDED AT TWO CONFERENCES
There are many indications that June 15 will be the big opening day in all Schengen countries. This tendency is evident in the run-up to the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU member states on Friday. State Secretary Mario Gattiker takes part in the talks because Justice Minister Keller-Sutter is prevented: she has to attend a Federal Council meeting.
Gattiker will also hold a conference call on Friday with the State Secretaries of France, Austria, and Italy. Daniel Bach, Head of Communication at the State Secretariat for Migration, confirms this: “Both conferences are about a coordinated approach to border opening.” One thing is clear: Both Germany and France also want to re-establish freedom of travel in the Schengen countries on June 15th.
FOUR DIFFERENT BORDER REGIMES IN SWITZERLAND
The situation at the borders is currently very complex for Swiss people. Four different regimes currently apply:
ITALY: The southern neighbor opened the border to Switzerland on June 3rd. The opening remains unilateral until June 15th. Bern considers the Italian opening to be premature. Swiss are allowed to go on vacation to Italy. Shopping tourism is not allowed. The federal government advises against travel. A good reason was needed.
Austria: The neighboring country to the east has just opened the borders to Switzerland. There are already easements for Austrians if they want to travel to Switzerland. Switzerland opens the borders to Austria on June 15th.
FRANCE: The borders are still closed from both sides. France has also not yet introduced any easing of entry. Unlike Germany and Austria.
GERMANY: The borders with the northern neighbor are still closed on both sides. But Germany and Switzerland have eased entry.
Justice Minister Keller-Sutter had already predicted in mid-May that the pressure on border openings would increase. “I would not be surprised if, under the economic pressure, the entire Schengen area was suddenly open in mid-June,” she said on May 16 in Radio SRF’s “Saturday show”. “You can now tell that different countries will open up for tourism.” Everything is going “a little faster”.
It seems the Justice Minister was right – if the epidemiological conditions do not suddenly change again. The State Secretariat for Migration’s helpline shows how much the population is interested in the opening of the border. The 60 employees currently answer 800 to 1000 emails or phone calls every day with questions about entry and residence in Switzerland. Sometimes the helpline had a traffic jam of 5000 requests per day.
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