https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The Swiss senate on Tuesday backed measures designed to make it easier for students from outside the European Union who have completed higher education in Switzerland to stay and work in the Alpine county. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190321/parliament-wants-to-scrap-work-permit-quotas-for-non-eu-graduates-of-swiss-unis-tertiary-education Thu, 21 Mar 2019 22:07:04 +0100 parliament-wants-to-scrap-work-permit-quotas-for-non-eu-graduates-of-swiss-unis-tertiary-education The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) has denounced Switzerland’s “capitulation” on immigration as parliament confirms its ‘light’ solution to the February 2014 anti-immigration referendum. https://www.thelocal.ch/20161216/svp-bern-capitulates-with-final-immigration-vote Fri, 16 Dec 2016 12:24:42 +0100 svp-bern-capitulates-with-final-immigration-vote Will the EU accept that Switzerland’s ‘light’ immigration solution doesn’t contravene the free movement of people? https://www.thelocal.ch/20161214/switzerland-awaits-eu-verdict-on-immigration-solution Wed, 14 Dec 2016 11:12:00 +0100 switzerland-awaits-eu-verdict-on-immigration-solution After nearly three years, the Swiss parliament has finally decided how to deal with the February 2014 ‘against mass immigration’ referendum, even if its solution bears little resemblance to the text of the initiative voted for by the public back then. https://www.thelocal.ch/20161213/swiss-parliament-reaches-agreement-on-eu-immigration Tue, 13 Dec 2016 10:16:25 +0100 swiss-parliament-reaches-agreement-on-eu-immigration It’s a question that’s been preoccupying Switzerland for more than two years – how to implement immigration quotas without damaging its relationship with the EU. As parliament debates the issue, The Local examines how this situation came about... and what could happen next. https://www.thelocal.ch/20161206/switzerlands-immigration-dilemma-what-you-need-to-know Tue, 06 Dec 2016 10:54:20 +0100 switzerlands-immigration-dilemma-what-you-need-to-know Switzerland will be able to recruit more non-EU specialist workers next year after the Swiss government agreed to increase the number of work permits for such people. https://www.thelocal.ch/20161013/bern-dishes-out-more-permits-for-non-eu-workers Thu, 13 Oct 2016 12:09:41 +0200 bern-dishes-out-more-permits-for-non-eu-workers Several Swiss cantons have exhausted their quotas of B permits available to specialist workers from non-EU countries wishing to work in Switzerland, it has emerged. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160826/geneva-worried-after-running-out-of-permits-for-non-eu-workers Fri, 26 Aug 2016 12:32:12 +0200 geneva-worried-after-running-out-of-permits-for-non-eu-workers The Swiss ambassador to Rome has been hauled in front of Italy’s foreign affairs minister to explain Switzerland’s frosty stance towards Italian nationals working over the border, Swiss and Italian media reported on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150729/italy-angered-by-swiss-stance-on-italian-workers Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:07:43 +0200 italy-angered-by-swiss-stance-on-italian-workers Foreigners from the European Union or member countries of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) who are seeking a short-term residency permit in Switzerland to look for work will soon have to prove they have sufficient economic means to stay in the country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150315/expats-face-finance-hurdles-for-short-term-permits Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:00:54 +0100 expats-face-finance-hurdles-for-short-term-permits Nearly half the Swiss population are ready to sacrifice bilateral agreements with the EU in order to implement the anti-immigration initiative that was narrowly passed in a referendum a year ago, according to a new survey. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150216/survey-swiss-will-forgo-eu-for-quotas Mon, 16 Feb 2015 14:14:00 +0100 survey-swiss-will-forgo-eu-for-quotas The Swiss government has presented a bill for new quotas on immigration from the European Union, a year after voters narrowly approved such curbs and put the country on a collision course with Brussels. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150211/federal-cabinet-unveils-bill-for-eu-immigrant-quotas Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:22:00 +0100 federal-cabinet-unveils-bill-for-eu-immigrant-quotas The Swiss federal government on Tuesday launched its campaign against a national initiative to limit net annual immigration to 0.2 percent of the population. https://www.thelocal.ch/20141014/government-launches-campaign-against-ecopop-proposal Tue, 14 Oct 2014 23:47:00 +0200 government-launches-campaign-against-ecopop-proposal A proposal to limit population growth in Switzerland could mean Swiss expats cannot return to their native country, says an organization representing citizens living abroad. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140716/swiss-expats-threatened-by-absurd-proposal Wed, 16 Jul 2014 15:05:00 +0200 swiss-expats-threatened-by-absurd-proposal Switzerland will begin restricting residence permits to citizens from 17 European Union countries, including the UK, on June 1st. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130516/eu-citizens-face-swiss-residence-quotas Thu, 16 May 2013 13:28:00 +0200 eu-citizens-face-swiss-residence-quotas