Immigration: Switzerland less attractive for EU citizens

Net immigration to Switzerland from the European Union has fallen to its lowest level for 12 years, continuing a steady decline in immigration from nearby countries.

Nearly 6,480 more EU citizens settled in Switzerland than departed between April and June, according to data released on Monday by the State Secretariat for Migration, the lowest since the second quarter of 2005.

Immigration has been a hot-button topic since Swiss citizens in 2014 voted to limit arrivals from the EU, despite bilateral accords guaranteeing free movement for EU citizens in exchange for enhanced Swiss access to the EU single market.

Parliament last year skirted a clash with the bloc by adopting a new law giving local people first crack at open jobs, sidestepping demand for absolute limits.

In the first half of 2017, the migratory balance was 25,526, just under 12 percent lower than the figure for the same period last year.  Overall, six percent fewer people arrived to live in Switzerland so far this year. However fewer people left; in the first half of the year 35,411 people quit the country, 2.3% down on same period in 2016.

Despite the declines, anti-immigration members of the Swiss People's Party (SVP) are pursuing a new referendum to try to halt free movement of EU workers.

Just over 2 million foreigners live in Switzerland, a quarter of the population. In total 68.5 percent of foreigners in Switzerland were from EU/EFTA countries.
Last week Switzerland was named among the top three best countries to be an immigrant in a ranking by US News & World Report. The Alpine country placed third, behind Sweden and Canada, partly due to its perception as having a stable economy and good integration measures, according to the research.