Dropping out of the accords would be costly, according to the paper presented by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)External link on Thursday. It commissioned research firm Ecoplan to assess the economic impact for Switzerland of belonging to the Schengen/Dublin regulatory systems.
The main effects would be seen in border control and visa rules, the two areas mainly overseen by Schengen and Dublin, respectively.
“If Switzerland were to withdraw from Schengen/Dublin, neighbouring states would have to carry out systematic border controls at the new external Schengen border with Switzerland. This would lead to significant waiting times and congestion at border crossings,” pointed out the FDFA in a statementExternal link.
It added that visitors requiring an extra visa to travel to Switzerland might also be put off – thus lowering the nation’s appeal as a business and leisure destination. Ecoplan estimated that without Schengen/Dublin, the Swiss economy would lose income of anywhere from CHF4.7 billion ($5 billion) to CHF10.7 billion ($11 billion) by 2030. In other words, GDP would drop by 1.6 to 3.7%.
The analysis was based on figures from the years 2012 to 2016, when participation in the Schengen deal cost Switzerland an average of CHF53 million per year.
However, the asylum cooperation regulations of the Dublin agreement yield savings that well exceed the Schengen-related costs. Because Switzerland transfers more people back to other European countries than it accepts, it has saved an average of CHF270 million per year, the report found.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.