Switzerland’s Police Officers’ Association has warned that cooperation between the country’s law enforcement agencies and the EU would be jeopardised if the bid to limit immigration is approved at the ballot box.
The issue in question is the referendum on June 14th, when Swiss voters will decide whether the ‘No to 10 million’ initiative instigated by the populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) should become law.
It seeks to drastically reduce the influx of immigrants from the European Union and EFTA states – Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein – so that the country’s population doesn’t exceed the 10-million mark, which the party says will overburden key infrastructure like housing, public transport, the health system, and schools.
READ MORE: What exactly does the Swiss ‘no to 10 million’ anti-immigration proposal aim to do?
‘Direct repercussions’
The umbrella group for police officers (VSPB) said on April 23rd that “adoption of the initiative would jeopardise Switzerland’s existing bilateral agreements with the European Union, thereby having direct repercussions for security within Switzerland.”
Among them, the loss of access to the Schengen Information System (SIS) – Europe’s largest database for security and border management – “would tangibly undermine police operations” in Switzerland.
“These bilateral agreements serve as a fundamental bedrock for international cooperation in the fight against crime.,” the VSPB said. “Should they be revoked or weakened, the consequences for daily police work would be immediate and disastrous: reduced access to information, delayed investigations, and more arduous conditions in the battle against cross-border crime. “
Therefore, “operational cooperation with the police authorities of neighbouring countries would become significantly more complicated” if the SVP initiative were to be accepted.
“Today, these proven instruments enable rapid, coordinated, and effective cooperation across national borders.,” the association pointed out. “They have demonstrated their value in practice and are central to the safety and security of the population.”
For instance, according to the Federal Office of Federal Affairs, athe greement between Switzerland and Europol – the EU’s law enforcement agency – “ improves cooperation between police authorities in the prevention and fight against serious and organised international crime and terrorism.
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Not the only ones
There is precedence for the VSPB’s stance.
In fact, it is the latest in a long lineup of the initiative’s opponents who have been sounding the alarm over the potential consequences of this measure.
They include all political parties (with the exception for the SVP), along with the Federal Council, the Parliament, economists, employers’ associations, as well as a number of other groups.
READ MORE: Who is leading the fight in Switzerland against the anti-immigration proposal?
