Border control: existing measures are sufficient

Switzerland is not a member of the European Customs Union and therefore has a permanent staff and control infrastructure of the Border Guard Corps (BGC) at its internal borders. Within the framework of customs controls, the Border Guard Corps already carries out checks on persons in the event of police suspicion. If the situation requires it, the Border Guard Corps will intensify these controls and increase its presence in the border regions, as it has done in recent weeks, writes the Federal Council.

According to the agreement, Switzerland systematically checks the travel documents and personal data of all travelers at the three national airports that form an external Schengen border. In doing so, it compares the data with national and European people tracing systems. The Federal Council had decided on Friday to maintain this practice, thereby making full use of the legal scope for security checks.

No threat to internal security

On Friday, the Federal Council had also examined further measures relating to border control. This included the question of whether Switzerland should temporarily introduce internal border controls as defined in the Schengen Borders Code (SBC) due to the current migration and security situation. The prerequisite for this would be exceptional circumstances that seriously threaten public order or internal security. However, the state government has determined that this requirement is not currently met. Internal border controls in the sense of the SBC are therefore currently neither necessary nor suitable to counter the current situation.

Previous position confirmed

The Federal Council thus confirmed its previous position and it supported the analysis of the federal and cantonal security bodies:

• First, the introduction of border controls as defined by the SBC is not a means of controlling the number of asylum applications.
• Secondly, mobile, risk-based controls, such as those already carried out by the Border Guard Corps today, are generally much more efficient and effective in averting danger than large-scale controls. The latter would not even be possible in view of the 750,000 border crossings every day and the 350,000 vehicles that cross the Swiss border every day.

In close cooperation with the Federal Council's Security Committee, the federal security agencies are continuously analyzing the current situation and developments in both the migration and security sectors, the release stressed. The Federal Council is ready to take further measures if necessary, it said. This is done in close consultation with the federal and cantonal authorities involved, as well as with neighboring countries.

Source: Press release federal authority