A tough vote against foreigners: the Swiss electorate has voted in favour of an amendment to the federal constitution. The vote means that should a foreigner be convicted of a serious crime in Switzerland, they will now face automatic deportation. The vote was tight--and brought with it misunderstanding, both within and beyond the nation's borders.
| Auteur | Gallinelli, Sven |
| Fonction | Politics |
Switzerland is the epitome of globalisation. It is a country with a well-developed economy: a nation that is world-renowned for its organisation and efficiency. But it is also a country that couldn't survive without foreigners to supplement its workforce--be it in the low-level job sector, or within professions demanding specialist skills and high-levels of qualification. It's also no secret that Switzerland is heavily dependent on its neighbours and the EU, where the majority of Swiss goods are exported.
But then there is another Switzerland: a land that occasionally fears the unknown. A land in fear of pressures from beyond its borders: one that fears its wealth can be taken away, or its safety compromised; that Swiss independency is at stake, or that others want to tell it what to do.
The Swiss paradox
It is a startling contrast: on the one hand, the multicultural, global-player Switzerland--on the other, the fears and concerns of Swiss citizens. And once in a while, these fears become more tangible; especially when a referendum is held that preys on those fears and gives them shape.
This is exactly what happened on November 28, 2010, when 52.9 per cent of the Swiss voters agreed on the Ausschaffungsinitiative (deportation initiative): a proposed amendment to the federal constitution, demanding that foreigners convicted in Switzerland for serious crimes be excluded from the country. It is important to keep in mind that these people won't be physically forced out of Switzerland immediately; rather, after they are sentenced or leave prison (depending on the judicial agreement with their country of origin), they have a few days to prepare to permanently leave Swiss soil.
It isn't as if this is an entirely new development. Switzerland has always had the mechanisms in place to deport foreign criminals. What has changed with the Ausschaffungsinitiative is that authorities are no longer allowed to consider every case individually. Deportation has to be applied automatically--with very few exceptions, such as when a criminal's home country is too risky and deportation would put his or her life in danger.
Vague definitions
But what constitutes a serious crime? The referendum, which was initiated by the conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP), is not very specific. It roughly states that crimes of violence, drug trafficking, burglary or sexual offences could be reason enough for deportation, as would fraudulently claiming social-security benefits...
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