Switzerland extends the restriction on the number of work permits for Bulgarians and Romanians from today until May 31 next year. Between 1 June 2018 and 31 May 2019, a total of 996 work permits may be issued to Bulgarian and Romanian migrants.
 
The free movement of citizens of Bulgaria and Romania came into force in June 2016. However, there is an option of limiting the number of work permits issued each year if this is in favor of the local labor force.

Like last year, the Swiss government is particularly worried that a large proportion of workers in both countries occupy seasonal jobs in a sector with above-average unemployment rates, according to Standard. Between 2016 and 2017, just after the introduction of the free movement of people, net migration from Bulgaria and Romania has increased more than twice against a background of a decline in migration from other EU countries.
 
Switzerland activates such a safeguard clause for the first time in 2012 in order to limit the number of arrivals from the new member states of the European Union. Bern also decided to extend the clause to all members of the bloc, but was heavily criticized by Brussels.
 
Since then, restrictions can not be applied to Member States that joined before 2004.

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