Switzerland opens borders for Maltese

As from yesterday, Maltese citizens acquired the right of free movement in Switzerland, a non-EU country.

This became possible with the entrance into force of an agreement signed between Switzerland and the EU five years ago, facilitating the free movement of persons between 20 EU and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) member states and the Alpine country.

Malta and Cyprus are the only two new member states being given the same treatment as the "old" 15 member states. All the other new members that joined the EU together with Malta in 2004, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, will have to wait until 2011 to get the Swiss green light.

The Swiss government said that as from June 1, citizens of the old member states, Malta, Cyprus, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein will be given unlimited access to the labour market and a quota system restricting their movement has now been lifted.

At the same time, Switzerland still retained the possibility of using a safety clause in the agreement, giving it the right to reintroduce quotas for another two years if immigration increases more than 10 per cent above a three-year average.

During a presentation in Brussels on the effects of the agreement on migration between Switzerland and the EU, the head of the state secretariat, Jean-Daniel Gerber, said the current growth rates experienced by Switzerland, 2.7 per cent last year and about two per cent this year, would not have been possible without foreign labour.