©Patrick Robert Doyle via Unsplash
On Sunday, the people of Switzerland will head to the polls. The Swiss are being asked to vote on a thorny issue in a much-discussed referendum.
On Sunday, the Swiss will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on immigration to their country. The Swiss People’s Party wants to restrict migration to the Alpine nation.
With the campaign “No to a Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants” the right-wing conservative and nationalist Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC)—which is also the largest party in the country—is asking the Swiss whether there should be a cap on the population size. The Swiss population appears deeply divided on this controversial topic, which is also being heavily discussed on social media.
The Swiss People’s Party wants the total population to reach a maximum of 10 million by 2050. Switzerland’s largest party is thus advocating for a population cap. Currently, Switzerland has 9.1 million inhabitants. At present, immigrants make up more than a quarter of the Swiss population. The majority of them come from the European Union. The right-wing party is pushing for strict limits on family reunification and new asylum applications, so that Switzerland’s population does not exceed 10 million.
If the population were to exceed 9.5 million by 2050, family reunifications and new asylum applications would be restricted. Under this system, approximately 40,000 immigrants would still be allowed to enter the country annually. If the population were to rise above 10 million, Switzerland would have to suspend the free movement of persons with the European Union, thereby jeopardizing cooperation with its largest export market. This is because the so-called “guillotine clause” stipulates that all bilateral agreements would lapse if one agreement is terminated.
In the polls, the “no” camp appears to be in the lead for now. Since the initiative has been rejected by the government, parliament, trade unions, and employers’ organizations, it must secure a double majority of the people and the 26 cantons to be adopted.
(©Patrick Robert Doyle via Unsplash)