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Immigration Regulation in Federal States pp 179–198Cite as

Swiss Immigration Federalism

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Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Migration ((IPMI,volume 9))

Abstract

In Switzerland, sub-national regulation in the field of immigration has developed mainly in relation to immigrant integration, whereas the areas of immigrant selection and immigration enforcement remain predominantly regulated by the central government. The current regulatory situation can be read as the result of three interacting factors: Switzerland’s pronounced federal system, the country’s former guest-worker approach to immigration and the bottom up nature of local processes of immigrant integration.

Two principles characterize Switzerland’s federalism; subsidiarity and executive federalism. Accordingly, cantons are not only the main responsible units for all areas which are not or only partially regulated at the national level, such as integration policy, but they can also decide how to implement existing national law, for instance in the field of immigration policy. As challenges related to immigrant integration arose primarily at the local city level where most immigrants live, cities and urban cantons were the first to formulate formal regulations and informal guidelines in this policy field. By contrast, the national government, long time neglected the topic of immigrant integration; a typical reaction for former guest-worker countries which were assuming that, eventually, the guest-workers would return to their countries of origin. To this day, national regulations on integration remain minimal and are worded in a very open way, which leaves the cantons considerable liberty in formulating their own integration policies.

Considering ongoing political debates within Switzerland, opinions vary on whether the cantonal variety of integration policies is rather beneficial or detrimental. On the one hand, opponents contend that subnational policy variations constitute a potential source of structural discrimination for immigrants, and that the heterogeneous puzzle of cantonal integration policies challenges the formulation of a coherent national strategy in the field. Proponents of cantonal autonomy, on the other hand, argue that adapted, context specific solutions for the local issue of immigrant integration are better than a “one size fits all” national framework and that Switzerland’s federalist laboratory facilitates the evolution of cantonal best practices. This policy-learning potential could be used more systematically, for instance by fostering inter-cantonal exchange.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    While I base my understanding of integration policy on established international concepts, I am aware that there is no unanimous and generally accepted definition of this multidimensional and contested term (cf. Castles et al. 2002; Robinson 1998). In line with the empirical-analytical approach taken in this chapter, the definition of integration policy used here is not normative, but descriptive, as the aim is to illustrate cantonal diversity in integration policy making. For a more comprehensive overview and discussion including additional aspects of integration policy such as access to socio-structural rights, family reunification and anti-discrimination, see Manatschal (2011).

  2. 2.

    With the exception of the “half-cantons” Obwald, Nidwald, Basel-City, Basel-Country, Appenzell Inner Rhodes, and Appenzell Outer Rhodes, who are accorded only one seat each. See: http://www.parlament.ch/D/ORGANE-MITGLIEDER/STAENDERAT/Seiten/default.aspx (last accessed: 7 November 2012).

  3. 3.

    See also art. 5 in the decree on immigrant integration (“Verordnung über die Integration von Ausländerinnen und Ausländern”, VIntA).

  4. 4.

    The legal situation was first improved for Italian immigrants in a “recruitment agreement” with Italy in 1964. This agreement facilitated family reunifications as well as a conversion of guest worker-permits into temporary residence permits. In the 1980’s, residence conditions were further improved for Italian, Spanish and Portuguese foreign workers, meaning that they were faster eligible for unlimited residence permits and family reunification (Lavenex 2006).

  5. 5.

    Yet, there are special arrangements for permanent residence permits for immigrants from the United States and Canada (see: http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/de/home/themen/aufenthalt/nicht_eu_efta/ausweis_c__niederlassungsbewilligung.html, last accessed: 2 November 2012).

  6. 6.

    See Neue Zürcher Zeitung, April 18 2012. Online: http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/politik/schweiz/schweiz-droht-konflikt-mit-eu-wegen-ventilklausel-1.16509769 (last accessed: July 23 2012).

  7. 7.

    See Neue Zürcher Zeitung, July 5 2012, p. 9.

  8. 8.

    See http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/de/home/themen/aufenthalt.html (last accessed: November 1 2012).

  9. 9.

    According to article 15 of the constitution of Basel-City, for instance, the canton “supports cultural diversity, immigrant integration and equal opportunities in the population”. Similarly, the integration law of the canton of Fribourg aims at fostering the process of immigrant integration by facilitating equal societal participation of immigrants and Swiss citizens.

  10. 10.

    See Federal Office of Migration (2010) “Entwicklung kantonaler Integrationsprogramme und begleitende Massnahmen (EKIM)” from May 20 2010. Online: http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/de/home/themen/integration/politik/weiterentwicklung.html (last accessed: July 23 2012).

  11. 11.

    See Neue Zürcher Zeitung, March 23 2012. Online: http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/politik/schweiz/vereinheitlichung_der_standards_bei_der_auslaenderintegration_wird_begruesst-1.16041622 (last accessed: July 23 2012).

  12. 12.

    This question was also at the core of the convention of the Federal Commission for Migration (“Eidgenössische Kommission für Migrationsfragen”, EKM) in 2010, which was entitled “Federalism, blessing or curse for migration policy?” See: http://www.ekm.admin.ch/de/themen/foederalismus.php (last accessed: August 8 2012).

  13. 13.

    More specifically, these were the cantons of Zurich, Berne, Lucerne, Solothurn, Basel-City, Basel-Country, St. Gall, Ticino, Neuchâtel and Geneva (Manatschal 2011).

  14. 14.

    See Neue Zürcher Zeitung, April 3 2012. Online: http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/schweiz/gericht-verbietet-langenthaler-minarett-1.16242621 (last accessed: August 8 2012).

  15. 15.

    See integration guiding principle of Basel-City. Online: http://www.welcome-to-basel.bs.ch/leitbild_original-2.pdf (last accessed: November 7 2012).

  16. 16.

    See integration strategy of the canton of Zurich. Online: http://www.integration.zh.ch/internet/justiz_inneres/integration/de/integrationspolitik/strategie.html (last accessed: August 13 2012).

  17. 17.

    From 2000 to 2010, cantons have been very active in this respect. During this period, 12 referenda were held in 10 cantons on voting-rights for non-nationals. See: http://www.ekm.admin.ch/content/ekm/de/home/themen/Citoy/stimmrecht.html (last accessed: October 25 2012).

  18. 18.

    Unequal cantonal regulations can however be a problem for asylum seekers, who have no free mobility within Switzerland (cf. Holzer and Schneider 2004).

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  1. Institute of Political Science, Bern University, Bern, Switzerland

    Anita Manatschal

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  1. Anita Manatschal
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  1. Inst. of Technology Fact. of Social Science and Humanities, University of Ontario, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

    Sasha Baglay

  2. International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Delphine Nakache

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Manatschal, A. (2014). Swiss Immigration Federalism. In: Baglay, S., Nakache, D. (eds) Immigration Regulation in Federal States. International Perspectives on Migration, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8604-1_9

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