Swiss set to vote on limiting immigration
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The SVP is the largest party in the affluent country and is strongly opposed to increased immigration.
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Members of the Swiss People's Party (SVP) promote their immigration campaign in Geneva in September 2020 (AFP)
Switzerland is ready to vote on policies to curb immigration to keep the population from reaching 10 million by 2050, after enough signatures were presented on Wednesday.
Swiss citizens can initiate popular votes by gathering 100,000 valid signatures within 18 months.
On Wednesday, the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP) submitted 114,600 signatures within 9 months to the Federal Chancellery in Bern.
The SVP is the largest party in the affluent country and is strongly opposed to increased immigration.
The SVP's website blames "all" problems on "uncontrolled mass immigration," like the "lack of security, daily traffic jams," and "rising health insurance premiums."
The motion seeks to amend the Swiss constitution to state that "the permanent resident population of Switzerland must not exceed 10 million people before the year 2050".
If it reaches 9.5 million before 2050, the government and parliament "will take measures, in particular regarding asylum and family reunification, with a view to ensuring compliance with the set limit value".
Swiss nationals residing in the country, as well as foreigners holding a one-year residency visa or who have been in the country for at least 12 months, would be considered permanent residents.
In 2022, the population was 8.82 million, a spike up from 8.54 million in 2018.
Migrant crisis could cause collapse of EU: The Telegraph
Ross Clark wrote an op-ed for The Telegraph in September in which he explained that despite the EU's commitment to free movement, it has not shown the same flexibility when it comes to asylum applicants. Some member states have resorted to physical barriers, such as Hungary's border fence, to deter migrants.
The EU is facing a critical challenge in dealing with the issue of migration, which has the potential to undermine its very existence.
As previously migrant-friendly countries like Germany and Sweden distance themselves from migrants arriving on Europe's southern shores, it threatens to devolve into a situation where each country prioritizes its own interests. This could provoke strong reactions from nations highly affected by migrant inflows.
While the EU managed to weather the sovereign debt crisis a decade ago, the migrant crisis poses an even greater threat to its unity, Clark says.
The high-minded ideals that underpin the EU have been severely tested and appear to lack the structural integrity required to address the current challenges effectively.
