Switzerland to vote on limiting population to 10 million

Switzerland will vote this summer on a proposal from the far-right Swiss People’s party (SVP) to limit the country’s population to 10 million, The Guardian writes.

The initiative is strongly opposed by both chambers of parliament and the business and financial services community.

The initiative would oblige the Swiss government and parliament to act if the country’s permanent population, currently 9.1 million, exceeds 9.5 million by denying entrance to newcomers, including asylum seekers and the families of foreign residents.

If the population reaches 10 million, further restrictions would come into force, and if numbers do not start to fall the government would be required to pull out of the free-movement agreement it has with the EU.

Switzerland’s population has grown about five times faster than the average in surrounding EU member states over the past decade, as its economic success has attracted both low-skilled workers and highly paid corporate expats. About 27% of Swiss residents are not citizens, according to government figures.