Passport control in Switzerland has been abolished for citizens of Schengen Agreement member states crossing the country's land borders. It is reported that Swiss border guards, when checking tourists with Schengen visas entering the country by car, only inspect luggage without performing passport control. At airports, passport control will remain in place until March 29, 2009.
Swiss citizens voted for the country to join the Schengen Area in a 2005 referendum. Now, holders of a Schengen visa can travel freely to 25 countries that signed the 1985 Schengen Agreement.
Along with joining the Schengen Area, Switzerland also begins to implement the Dublin Regulation, under which member states must ensure that refugees do not seek asylum in multiple countries simultaneously. An official representative of the Swiss border guard, Hans Arzethauser, explained that the country will soon also gain access to the European Union's database on criminals. 'Previously, Switzerland was considered a "safe haven" for offenders. Access to the EU database will allow us to identify wanted persons, stolen vehicles, and refugees,' the official said.
As Lenta.ru notes, Switzerland, like Norway and Iceland, is part of the Schengen Area without being an EU member.