[simonh]

Switzerland held a referendum on stopping freedom of movement with the EU, which passed. The EU refused to even discuss it and the borders are still open and that's not going to change unless Switzerland wants to cancel all it's EU deals. Which isn't going to happen.

Legally, referendums in the UK are advisory only.

[jstanley]

> the borders are still open

I'm not sure where you draw the line for this, but last time I went into Switzerland I had my passport checked at the border.

[dmca]

As you do coming in to the UK. Having your passport checked is not the same as having closed borders, EU citizens are still being allowed in.

[sgift]

That's because Switzerland isn't part of the Schengen area, not because of the referendum. The referendum was about immigration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_immigration_referendum,_...

[CaptainZapp]

  That's because Switzerland isn't part of the Schengen area

That's wrong. Since 2008 Switzerland is definitely part of the Schengen area. While the UK is not.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area)

So if you fly in from the UK (or any non-Schengen country) you need t show a passport. As is the case in any other Schengen country.

[sgift]

Thanks for the hint, I rechecked and you are right, that part of my comment is outdated. The other part (about immigration) is current.

[nickserv]

"All four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – have signed agreements on association with the Schengen Agreement, even though they are outside the EU"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

[nickserv]

If you're not a citizen of a country in the Schengen area then you'll need a passport.

And random checks at the border are permitted (i.e. contraband, people trafficking).

Also a country is allowed to re-implement border controls in case of crisis.

[jstanley]

> If you're not a citizen of a country in the Schengen area then you'll need a passport.

And how exactly do you show that you're a citizen of a country in the Schengen area without showing a passport?

[jacquesm]

When was that? I drove through coming from Italy a few week ago exiting at the French border on the North side and nobody looked at any passports.

[CaptainZapp]

You usually don't even have to show your passport when boarding a plane in Zurich as long you're flying within the Schengen area.

I think that's the case in most Schengen airports now.

What can happen is that you're checked by customs at the border. Since Switzerland is not in a customs union with the EU. Generally speaking, though, it's free flowing.

[Oletros]

But there is no restriction to workers from UE, in this regard I think the OP talked about "the borders are open"