SWITZERLAND: SWISS BEGIN VOTING IN NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM ON WHETHER TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF FOREIGNERS IN THEIR COUNTRY TO 18 PERCENT

Record ID: 648142

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: SWISS BEGIN VOTING IN NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM ON WHETHER TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF FOREIGNERS IN THEIR COUNTRY TO 18 PERCENT
  • Date: 24th September 2000
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 24, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. MV VOTING CARDS WHICH HAD BEEN SENT BY MAIL BEING PUT INTO BALLOT BOX (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. CU/MV VOTING OFFICIAL YVES PARADE EXPLAINING THE PROCEDURES TO STAFF (2 SHOTS) 0.20 3. CU BALLOT PAPERS/ BALLOT BOX (2 SHOTS) 0.28 4. VARIOUS PEOPLE COMING TO VOTE (6 SHOTS) 0.52 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(French) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING: "It is the first time I am able to vote, I just got Swiss citizenship. There are many foreigners living here, many of them have lived here for a long time and I hope they can get Swiss citizenship like me." 1.30 6. VARIOUS VOTING (2 SHOTS) 1.44 7. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(French) UNIDENTIFIED MAN SAYING: "It is a scandal, there are many foreigners in Geneva, this proposal to limit the number of foreigners is a scandal." 2.09 8. VARIOUS VOTING (5 SHOTS) 2.35 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th October 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVAEPMPDRHSZPU8EB38IYXKBTN7F
  • Story Text: Swiss have begun voting in a nationwide referendum on
    whether to limit the number of foreigners in their country to
    18 percent of the 7.2 million population.



    Nearly one in five people in Switzerland - 19.3
    percent, or some 1.4 million - is foreign, high even by
    European standards. That compares with one in nine in Sweden,
    and about the same in Austria.

    The government has urged voters to turn down the proposal
    called "People's Initiative for Regulating Immigration."
    Philipp Mueller, a Swiss real estate developer is behind
    the plan but the forty-eight-year-old local politician doesn't
    expect his initiative to be accepted.

    Surveys of voters in recent weeks make a 'no' vote appear
    likely, although the initiative is expected to gain support
    from Swiss concerned about an influx of foreign children in
    schools, and from voters worried over crime committed by
    foreigners.

    Those in favour of the initiative want to reduce the
    number of foreigners by tightening-up on entry and letting the
    numbers slowly fall, rather than order anyone out of the
    country.

    Those against the plan worry it would brand Swiss as
    xenophobic and hurt the economy, where large numbers of
    foreign labourers are employed in sectors like construction
    and farming, as well as banking and other businesses where
    foreign specialists are in demand.







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