Sunday, February 28, 2016

Swiss Reject Automatic Deportation of Foreign Criminals

Swiss vote down plan to expel foreigners for committing crimes - exit poll

Posters of Swiss People's Party (SVP) demanding to deport criminal foreigners are displayed beside a road in Adliswil, Switzerland February 11, 2016. © Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters

Swiss citizens have been taking part in a referendum that could authorize automatic deportation of foreigners who commit crimes. Early projections of the results showed that the majority of Swiss population opposed the initiative.

According to exit poll data revealed by the Swiss Radio and Television (SRF), the majority of the Swiss do not back the controversial proposal that would make it easier to expel foreigners that committed crimes, ranging from anything from speeding to murder. 

Projections from exit polls indicated that 59 percent of residents opposed the expulsion plan, SRF reported after the polls closed Sunday. The final results are due later on Sunday.

As of mid-Sunday, the voters were seen as likely to reject the “Yes” vote, according to initial exit poll data by Swiss Radio and Television (SRF), Reuters reports.

A 2010 deportation initiative, also launched by SVP and approved of by 52 percent of voters, included immediate expulsion of foreigners who commit grave crimes such as rape or armed robbery.

The 2016 referendum comes amid growing unease at rising immigration in Switzerland, as well as social and welfare problems, which SVP claims have been brought in by migrants. The party launched an initiative "For the effective expulsion of foreign criminals," promoted by posters reading “Finally, create security!” and showing a “white” sheep on top of the national flag kicking away a “black” sheep.

The Federal Council, Switzerland's major executive body, dubbed SVP’s initiative "inhuman, because it treats the roughly 2 million foreigners who live in Switzerland as second-class citizens."

Yes, and we wouldn't want murderers and child rapists to feel they are anything but first class Swiss.

Opponents of the controversial initiative say the law, if passed, will create a two-tier justice system which will unfairly treat any foreigner as a potential criminal.

How does that work? Someone will have to explain that to me. I thought we were all potential criminals.

They utilized emotional visual signs to promote the “No” vote – one of the posters included an image of a tattered swastika and putting “Switzerland 2016” next to 1933 Nazi Germany and 1948 apartheid South Africa.

According to a February poll by Swiss Radio and Television (SRF), public attitude towards the SVP’s initiative was quite divisive – 46 percent would vote “Yes,” with 49 percent voting “No.”

So it appears the margin has increased. Is it because the fear of becoming a Nazi-type state is greater than the fear of Swiss girls being raped for being Swiss girls? Either way, cultural suicide is what will follow.

Or, perhaps it was just the glaringly racist "ya" signs with the white and black sheep.

More than 5 million people in Switzerland are entitled to vote, excluding over 2 million foreigners residing in the country.

Wait a minute - doesn't that make them 2nd class citizens. Shouldn't everyone have the right to vote?

If “Yes” vote prevails, Switzerland would become the European country introducing the strictest immigration laws. The Alpine country has already introduced another controversial measure targeting migrants. In January, it was revealed that refugees arriving in Switzerland will have to turn over any assets they possess which are worth more than 1,000 Swiss francs ($997).

Switzerland is not part of the 28-member European Union but it is part of the Schengen border-free zone.

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