Swiss voters have decisively rejected a proposal to cap the nation's population at 10 million, dealing a significant blow to the anti-immigration Swiss People's Party (SVP). The referendum saw nearly 55 percent of participants voting against the measure, with about 60 percent turnout among eligible voter rolls, according to BBC News.
The outcome preserves Switzerland's crucial free movement agreement with the European Union, which had hung in the balance. Had the proposal passed, Switzerland would have been forced to terminate its commitment to EU free movement principles, jeopardizing access to Europe's single market.
Justice Minister Beat Jans welcomed the result, calling it "a sign of stability, openness and reliability" for the Alpine nation's international relations. The vote revealed a stark urban-rural divide, with city dwellers particularly opposed to the limit. In the capital Bern, 84 percent of voters rejected the cap.
Switzerland's population has grown from 7.3 million in 2002 to approximately 9.1 million today, with 27 percent of residents classified as foreign nationals. The SVP argued that unchecked migration strains public services, housing markets and infrastructure. Opponents countered that immigrants fill essential labour gaps.
Nils Fiechter, a 29-year-old SVP representative, was quoted by BBC News as saying unchecked immigration was "leading to Switzerland no longer being Switzerland." He attributed housing shortages and strained social services to migration inflows.
Helin Genis, a 31-year-old Social Democrat elected to Bern's city council, was also quoted by BBC, saying "It is not migrants who determine rent levels. It is not migrants who raise health insurance premiums. Nor is it migrants who make political decisions on housing, infrastructure or social investment."
The geographic pattern of the vote reflected economic realities: tourism-heavy cantons including Graubunden and Valais, home to major resorts like St. Moritz and Zermatt, rejected the measure due to their dependence on foreign workers, who make up about half of the hotel industry's workforce.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quoted by BBC as saying "The Swiss people have spoken. The EU and Switzerland share deep ties and a strong partnership" after the announcement.
Swiss businesses had warned that limiting migration could trigger labour shortages in healthcare and elder care sectors already facing demographic pressures, with 20 percent of Switzerland's population now over age 65.
Sources: BBC News, Swissinfo.ch, Federal Statistical Office
