It said it wanted to wait for parliamentary debates on the issue during the forthcoming winter session before giving the migration pact its final blessing, according to a statement published on Wednesday.
However, the government maintains that the agreement is consistent with Switzerland’s interests, “as it aims to reduce irregular migration by setting benchmarks for orderly migration practices.”
In October, the government announced that it planned to adopt the pact with certain caveats, saying Switzerland’s migration policy already implemented the recommendations. It added that the treaty would be put to parliament for consultation as required by law.
However, the government has rejected proposals to let parliament have the final say on the issue.
The non-binding pact has prompted criticism from various political parties in the Swiss parliament, notably from the right. They argue the treaty would undermine Switzerland’s independence.
In several other countries the pact has drawn opposition from nationalists.
The United States, Hungary, Austria, Israel and Poland have said they won’t back the treaty. An intergovernmental conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on December 10-11 is due to approve the accord.
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Swiss ambassador defends UN migration pact
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Swiss Ambassador Pietro Mona has defended the UN migration pact despite fierce criticism from parliament.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
ETH Zurich remains best university in continental Europe
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Swiss universities have once again fallen slightly behind in international comparison. In the annual university rankings, they recorded slightly more losses than gains overall. However, three Swiss universities are among the 100 best in Europe.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Swiss president praises UN migration deal
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Berset, who co-presented the plan with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, called it a “great triumph of cooperation in multilateral diplomacy that the negotiations on the pact will bear fruit in these difficult times”. Berset, the Swiss home affairs minister who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, praised the pact on Wednesday as…
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Three recent Swiss diplomatic controversies have raised questions about whether the country can still be considered a moral voice in world affairs.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.