EU Migration Pact: Swiss Dilemma – Solidarity or Isolation?

The new EU migration pact: challenges and opportunities for Switzerland

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was adopted by the EU on 14 May 2024, poses new challenges for Switzerland. As an associated Schengen/Dublin state, it is obliged to adopt parts of the pact and adapt its national law. This blog post analyses the main points of the pact, the position of the Federal Council and the debate in parliament to shed light on the implications for Switzerland.

On 21 March 2025, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the adaptation of Swiss law to the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The cornerstones of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

With the pact, the EU is striving for a more efficient, crisis-resistant and solidarity-based migration and asylum system, with core objectives of curbing irregular migration, harmonising asylum procedures and reducing secondary migration within the Schengen area. A central mechanism is the solidarity-based distribution of asylum seekers in order to relieve member states with high migratory pressure.

The Swiss perspective

The Federal Council welcomes the reform and emphasises Switzerland’s interest in a functioning European migration and asylum policy. Switzerland’s geographical location makes it particularly dependent on a stable system. Switzerland must adopt five of the ten legal texts of the Pact, especially in the Dublin area[1]. This includes adjustments to the clarification of responsibility for asylum applications, shorter deadlines for transfers and improved consideration of an applicant’s connection to a specific Dublin state. The revised Eurodac Regulation with extended data collection provisions also affects Switzerland.

The debate on the solidarity mechanism

While the adoption of the Dublin regulations is largely uncontroversial, the debate is sparked by the solidarity mechanism. For Switzerland, participation in this is voluntary. The Federal Council sees this as an opportunity to strengthen the European system and advocates participation in principle. During the consultation, the cantons were divided. Some are in favor of the takeover, others express concerns about the financial and personnel costs. Critical voices see the pact as a focus on isolation and deterrence and call for greater participation of Switzerland in the solidarity mechanism.

Parliamentary deliberations

The National Council’s Political Affairs Committee has adopted the drafts for the implementation of the pact by a majority. It advocates conditional participation in the solidarity mechanism, coupled with the functioning Dublin system with the states relevant to Switzerland. Minority motions call for either no financial participation at all or only financial participation. The debate shows the different positions in parliament and the difficulty of finding a consensus.

Outlook and challenges

The implementation of the EU migration pact poses complex challenges for Switzerland. The adaptation of national law, the integration of the new Dublin regulations and the decision on participation in the solidarity mechanism require careful consideration. Switzerland must protect its interests and at the same time live up to its responsibility as part of the European migration and asylum system. The debate in parliament will show which path Switzerland will ultimately take. It is important to take into account the different perspectives and to find a solution that serves both national interests and European solidarity. The coming months will be crucial in setting the course for Switzerland’s future migration policy.

Result

The EU migration pact represents an important step in the reform of the European migration and asylum system. As an associated Schengen/Dublin state, Switzerland is closely linked to this system and must face the new challenges. The debate on the implementation of the pact and participation in the solidarity mechanism shows the complexity of the issue and the different interests. It remains to be seen how Switzerland will define its role in the European context and what concrete measures it will take to meet the challenges of migration.

[1] Dublin is a legal framework that determines which Dublin State is responsible for examining an asylum application. Dublin states are all EU member states as well as the four associated states (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and the Principality of Liechtenstein).