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Switzerland to spend $300 million on Schengen border defense

From August 1, 2024, Switzerland will contribute to a fund to support the protection of the borders of the Schengen area, a group of European countries with a combined land border of 8,000 km and maritime borders of 43,000 km, RTS reports.

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A total of CHF 300 million has been budgeted to cover the period between 2021 and 2027. The money is a contribution to strengthening the protection of the Schengen area’s external borders and preventing illegal entry, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The amount is calculated on the basis of national GDP.

Over the same period, Switzerland is expected to receive around CHF 50 million from the fund. These funds will be used to set up new EU information systems for monitoring arrivals and will be present throughout the zone. Part of this money will also be used to expand the border control infrastructure at Zurich Airport.

The Schengen area includes 25 EU countries (all 27 except Romania and Bulgaria) and the four countries Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The microstates Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are also effectively part of the area.

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