Don’t you really see why?
I’m not really libertarian. And I’m generally pro immigration, if the immigrant has found a job first. Talk about drawing early conclusions…
By the way, “libertarian” is a broad term, the movement attracts people with different philosophies. It’s known for libertarians to fiercely argue between each other and call each not “not real libertarian”. It is also a running gag.
Switzerland does not have an education based immigration. I think ‘most’ EU citizens can come and work here without restrictions (maybe some restrictions for the newest members.)
As for non-EU, it is a small annual quota. ~4.5K new B permits for all of Switzerland and ~5K new L permit per year (these are valid for max 24 months). Having a job offer does not guarantee that the employer will manage to get a work permit for you. Happened to people I know personally.
85% of non-EU students who do their MSc / PhD at Swiss Universities leave the country after their education, due to shortage of work permits! PhD’s and post-doctoral researchers in Swiss universities from non-EU countries have special ‘training’ permits. They let you do academic research for ~ 5-6 years, after which you must get a ‘proper’ work permit for a ‘proper’ job or leave. All this while, you pay taxes, AHV, Pillar 2, etc etc… like a ‘normal’ job.
If you don’t have a job lined up by the time your MSc/PhD/Post-Doc ends, you get a maximum 6 months ‘job-search’ L permit (that permit does not allow you to work, just stay and search). (This was introduced sometime around 2010). So, most of these non-EU students end up returning to their countries or in EU/US…Most non-EU students I met during my MSc and PhD here are now in Germany, Netherlands, US, etc.
I am one of those 15% that managed to find a job, and an employer that managed to get a work permit for me from that quota. So after 2 yeas of MSc (training B permit), ~5 years of PhD (training B again), 2 years of PostDoc in industry (restricted L), and 2 years of work (proper work B permit), I was finally allowed to apply for a C (all those years continuously in Zurich Stadt). Took 11 years, but I got it.
Fun Fact: I applied for C after 10 years, but was told by the Zurich Kanton that my last 5 years were not continuous, i.e. the L permit in year 8 & 9 was a 'discontinuity! Hence wait 1 more year 
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Similar situation for me. I came here in 2008 for a very specific job offer. I had 2 interviews at the Swiss consulate in India regarding my job offer and only after that, I was given a provisional visa to travel to Switzerland for 14 days and then apply and obtain my work permit in those 14 days.
Most EU/EFTA folks on this forum are probably not aware of the kind of vetting/difficulty that non-EU folks (with the exception of US and CA) have to go thru to get a work permit.
As I mentioned on another thread, after 8 years (2 on L, 6 on restricted B), my project was suddenly cancelled, leading to my work permit being cancelled and I was given approx. 1 month to leave Switzerland. Imagine, 1 month, after spending 8 years in this country! No resort to unemployment benefits, etc.
After that experience, I am in favour of ending free movement with EU. Entry should be based only on educational qualifications and/or specific skill sets and/or experience (irrespective of country of origin).
Oh, and a big bonus if the EU (as a political project) collapses.
While I would like some more breathing space for non-EU job applicants here, they will always be at the end of queue. Switzerland may not be in EU but its like an Island in the sea. You can’t pretend to stay away from water!
That model you may be looking for seems to be used by sparsely populated countries like Australia and Canada. I doubt if CH can/will l go that way. Even if EU somehow ‘collapses politically’ Switzerland will continue to export its stuff to EU countries and EU citizens will have some sort of preferential access here.
On the contrary, I would like to see EU really excel. That would reduce the number of EU citizens coming to CH by itself. making more space for non-EU candidates.
Think of EU+EEA+Switzerland as a single country (for freedom to move and work), bigger than US, but Much smaller than India or China.
EU and India have been negotiating FTA since 10 years now. EU wants Indian middle class to eat their cheese and drive their cars (with lower taxes on its exports), and India wants the same middle class to have access to offer their services in EU.
On the contrary, I would like to see EU really excel. That would reduce the number of EU citizens coming to CH by itself. making more space for non-EU candidates.
Same here, although only as a trade bloc, not as a political union.
EU and India have been negotiating FTA since 10 years now. EU wants Indian middle class to eat their cheese and drive their cars (with lower taxes on its exports), and India wants the same middle class to have access to offer their services in EU.
India should, IMHO, drive a strong bargain to have visa free access to its citizens. May not be politically palatable to the EU but should be a cornerstone of India’s bargaining policy. Whether it’s achievable or not is a different topic altogether.
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Sad to hear your story. Trust me, I would be all for productive people being able to come here and do business with fewer restrictions. But what do you mean here? You’re Indian, right? Did you manage to stay in Switzerland or did you have to leave? How would you benefit from ending the Schengen Area?
I don’t. I mean, I wish European countries to prosper, but I don’t think a strong and integrated EU is good for Switzerland. They will keep making pushes to force Switzerland to join. And Switzerland joining the EU would be terrible.
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That is what I meant to say.
I keep saying ‘EU’ while it is really about the individual countries.
Won’t ever happen in our entire lifetime. Not even leftiest want to join the EU anymore.
On the other hand, Japan is one of the wealthiest, most technologically advanced, safest and least violent countries in the world.
I think it‘s just due to demographics: it‘s becoming a society of old people.
That’s simply not true. If majority would think that way, Ana Brnabić would have had no chance. But she is premier and recently got the mandate to build the government for another term.
If I would look from outside of Switzerland to e. g. Unteriberg SZ with a population of 2.5k with less than 8% Ausländer, and where 80+% are SVP voters and where Masseneinwanderungsinitative got over 85% yes votes, and only look to this village, then I would think damn, Swiss are racists and homophobic.
Same applies to Serbia. When I speak to relatives and friends in rural areas, I can hear homophobic remarks, but there are others as well, where I was surprised to hear exactly the opposite. Not to speak about Belgrade or other bigger cities. In Switzerland you will hear the same.
My theory is, that many immigrants in Switzerland, especially from Balkan, which lived here over 20 years have a different image of their country they come from, the old one. The old image survives in diaspora. But the country has changed and progressed (I speak of culture, views, beliefs). And idiots are present everywhere, but are not the majority.
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It is hard to compare, because different topics are politicized/ important to voters.
Just compare the US:
to Switzerland:
I’m sure the methodology is different, and I suspect that Swiss voters do actually care quite a bit about “the economy”. But some stuff is just a huge deal in the US and a non-issue here (e.g. abortion) and vice-versa (e.g. sovereignity).