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Switzerland set to hold controversial vote on capping population amid frustration with immigration
- Rubin Report Staff
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
About one in three people living in Switzerland is foreign born, a dramatic increase of immigrants from 25 years ago, when the figure was one in five. Amid growing frustration with immigration, Switzerland is set to hold a controversial referendum vote on Sunday on whether to put a cap on the country's total population.
The idea was proposed by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), Switzerland's conservative political party, and calls for capping the nation's population at no more than 10 million through the year 2050, The Wall Street Journal reported. Currently, Switzerland's population is 9.1 million, meaning about 3 million citizens living in Switzerland are foreign born. According to the proposal, once Switzerland's population hits 9.5 million, the government would be required to take tangible steps to limit population growth.
If the population reaches 10 million, the proposal would require the Swiss government to abandon its agreement with the European Union allowing free movement among countries. Additional measures the government would be required to take involve changing laws around asylum and family reunification, among others.
Economic concerns are fueling the frustrations with immigration in Switzerland, but there's a cultural aspect to the proposal as well. "Most people are left behind,” 71-year-old Dolfi Müller, 71, told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s not the same home it once was.” Despite that, Müller, a former mayor, said he plans to vote no in the referendum because he doesn't think it will sufficiently solve Switzerland's immigration problem.
In fact, the referendum, which has drawn comparisons to Britain's Brexit vote in 2016, is expected to be decided by a razor-thin margin, with some polls now showing it may fail, according to The Wall Street Journal. For more on the referendum, watch the video below.
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