Swiss voters reject population cap proposal

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Voters in Switzerland on Sunday have voted against a proposal to cap the Alpine nation's population at 10 million by 2050.

According to final results published by national broadcaster SRF the proposal has been rejected by 54.8% against 45.2% in favor.

Under Switzerland's direct democracy system, referendums are mostly binding in their effect.

The proposal was put forward by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), which has the most seats in the Swiss parliament.

Currently, Switzerland has a population of 9.1 million.

Divisive population proposal

Those in favor of the SVP proposal say that immigration to Switzerland, where foreigners make up more than 25% of the population, has caused the small country to become overcrowded and clogged services.

However, its critics say that if adopted, it would bring many unwanted side-effects.

Among other things, the business community has voiced concerns that it could bring about an end to the free movement of labor between Switzerland and the ​EU, its main trading partner.

The proposal stipulates that if the population does exceed 10 million for more than two years before 2050, that agreement with the EU should be scrapped.

Other opponents of the proposal say they fear a lack of health or care workers if immigration is curbed.

Switzerland votes on whether to cap its population

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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar