Switzerland Votes Today to Cap Population at 10 Million

SadaNews - Voters in Switzerland are set to cast their ballots today, Sunday, on a proposal aimed at capping the country's population at 10 million in a referendum compared to Britain's vote on leaving the European Union, amidst potential implications for the economy and Bern's relations with the bloc.

The constitutional amendment, put forward by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, stipulates that the population should not exceed 10 million by the year 2050, amid concerns over immigration and pressure on public services and housing, while official forecasts indicate that Switzerland is on track to reach this number by the early 2040s.

This unprecedented proposal comes in the context of a broader European environment where calls from right-wing groups to restrict immigration are escalating, driven by dissatisfaction with living costs, weak economic growth, and concerns about crime.

Results of the voting are expected to start emerging from 10:00 AM GMT. If the proposal is approved, surpassing the 10 million threshold may trigger measures that could lead Switzerland to end its freedom of movement agreement with the European Union, which provides a significant portion of the workforce in the country.

Switzerland's population currently exceeds 9 million, with recent polls showing a wide division among voters, alongside a decline in support for the proposal in the latest survey compared to its predecessor.

Helen Jolly, a 58-year-old Kenyan-origin woman working part-time in a store in Zurich, stated she voted by mail in favor of capping the population, adding: "If the number exceeds 10 million, conditions will become difficult.. immigration needs to be restricted."

"Absurd Proposal"

The Swiss government, parliament, and business circles warn that approving the proposal could directly harm the national economy, which heavily relies on foreign labor and skills attracted from abroad, especially in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, finance, and technology sectors.

The Swiss business association "Economy Switzerland" described the initiative as an "absurd proposal" that would undermine the country's security and prosperity, while leaders of the Swiss People's Party dismissed these criticisms, arguing that open border policies have contributed to rising crime rates and burdened the state.

Since the implementation of the free movement agreement between Switzerland and the European Union in 2002, the population has increased by about 23%, alongside a 24% growth in the economy during the same period, according to official data.

Experts affirm that passing the initiative will compel the government to take strict measures as soon as the population approaches 9.5 million, including tightening asylum policies, family reunification, and residency, and possibly reconsidering the freedom of movement agreement with the EU.

Although most of the foreign residents in Switzerland come from European countries, immigration has remained a focal point of sharp political division within the country for decades, as Swiss voters previously approved, by a narrow margin, an initiative to limit "mass immigration" in 2014.