First samples: Swiss citizens rejected the proposal to limit the population

SVP, a right-wing party opposed to immigration, initiated the referendum last year, and managed to collect 100,000 signatures as required. Her demand was that it be determined that as soon as Switzerland reaches the aforementioned target number, it will withdraw from international treaties that allow any kind of immigration to the country. The rationale for wanting to keep the population constant is the concern for public and social services, and the fear that increased immigration will create a burden that will not allow citizens to receive adequate services from the authorities.

The vote in the referendum on the issue takes place against the background of a charged debate in Europe regarding immigration as a possibility for demographic and economic growth. In most European countries the birth rate is lower than what is needed to maintain a permanent population, and countries are growing in terms of inhabitants only through immigration. Switzerland in particular is considered a successful immigration country, and more than a quarter of its residents have foreign citizenship and do not hold a Swiss passport.

By the year 2035, approximately 10 million inhabitants will live in Switzerland

Today, 9 million residents live in Switzerland and polls that were held in the past on the issue found that 48% of the residents support the current proposal to limit the number of residents in Switzerland to 10 million. The government and most of the mainstream parties opposed the proposal, and according to them acceptance of the new law would harm Switzerland’s competitive advantage, prevent positive immigration of researchers and entrepreneurs and also work from skilled and talented personnel who now immigrate to the country in an orderly process. According to current forecasts, by the year 2035, approximately 10 million inhabitants will live in Switzerland.

According to the proposal of the right-wing party SVP, when the population reaches 9.5 million, family reunification of immigrants will be prohibited, and when the population reaches 10 million, free movement will be prohibited as required by the “Schengen Convention”, due to the risk of immigration to the country. The exceptional referendum halts the scenario in which the country will grow “organically”, because the birth rate will increase and there will be more births than deaths. The background for the demand is the fact that Switzerland’s attractiveness has led to increased immigration to it, both from skilled workers but also from immigrants from “Third World” countries through marriage and family reunification.