The Swiss will decide in June whether 10 million inhabitants is the maximum the country can accommodate.
The proposal — supported by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) — will go to a national vote after supporters have gathered enough signatures, within Switzerland’s system of direct democracy.
Both the government and Parliament are against the so-called “sustainability initiative”, which aims to limit the population, practically blocking immigration when the number of 10 million is reached. Still, the proposal had the support of around 48% of voters, according to a December survey. The vote will be on June 14, the government announced this Wednesday.
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Switzerland’s population has grown by around 70% since 1960, reaching 9.1 million inhabitants, driven mainly by the demand for labor and the attraction of high wages and quality of life. Proponents of the restriction argue that unchecked immigration has led to infrastructure overload and housing shortages.
The initiative is especially controversial because it would affect Switzerland’s free movement agreement with the European Union. This could cut off companies’ access to foreign talent — considered essential by many — and also threaten other connected treaties, which guarantee Swiss exporters access to the bloc’s single market.
Some of the high support in polls reflects economic frustration, especially with housing and other costs, combined with anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.
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“GDP per capita has not grown in the last three years and real wages have fallen,” said Stefan Legge, a professor at the University of St. Gallen. “A lot of people are worse off now than they were three years ago. And then you look for someone to blame.”
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