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Swiss Initiative Aims to Cap Population at 10 Million by 2050

PoliticsPolitics
Key Points
  • A Swiss initiative aims to cap the permanent resident population at 10 million by 2050, with measures triggered at 9.5 million.
  • Government projections show the population could hit 9.5 million by 2031, potentially affecting asylum, family reunification, and EU agreements.
  • Opponents warn the plan could create uncertainty and require terminating international human rights protections.

The SVP's sustainability initiative aims to limit the Swiss population to 10 million inhabitants by 2050. According to the initiative text, the permanent resident population of Switzerland must not exceed ten million people before the year 2050. 5 million, the Federal Council must take measures, particularly in the asylum area and family reunification.

5 million by 2031. The Federal Council's message indicates that besides the free movement of persons, human rights or refugee conventions are affected. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) writes that if Switzerland terminated these human rights protection agreements, it could potentially contradict the humanitarian tradition and isolate the country internationally.

Research shows that neither a complete stop to accepting refugees nor the abolition of all quotas for workers from third countries outside the EU would be sufficient to maintain the population cap of 10 million. The federal government would therefore have to address the free movement of persons long before the 10 million limit is reached. 5 million remain unclear.

Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher says that probably "in three or four years," EU citizens might no longer be able to bring their families. "The chaos initiative would plunge our country into great uncertainty," says FDP co-president Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher. How renegotiating or terminating international agreements like the free movement of persons or human rights conventions would be implemented in practice is not specified.

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