Swiss citizens are not averse to getting rid of foreigners who break the law
From the point of view of the vast majority of these people, the second "enforcement" initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party, which demands that parliament literally implement the results of a five-year-old referendum on the immediate and unconditional expulsion of foreigners who have broken the law, is the final step towards turning them into second-class citizens. However, as noted in its publication by Swissinfo.ch, no less notable is the group of foreigners living in Switzerland who demand a tough line against those who break the law without being full citizens of the Confederation.
Despite all the criticism leveled at them, social networks have undeniably strong sides; in particular, they allow for a very quick compilation of an instantaneous picture of opinions on a given issue. Of course, such polls cannot claim to be scientific or representative; nevertheless, they can provide a first impression of what the target audience is thinking and what concerns them.
So, let us recall the main outline of events. In 2010, the Swiss people approved a legislative initiative providing for the immediate expulsion of foreign citizens who have broken the law. Parliament and the government spent several years racking their brains over the corresponding draft federal law, the final version of which, however, completely displeased the Swiss People's Party, the author of the bill on "criminal foreigners," primarily due to parliament's desire to incorporate the possibility of exceptions in "particularly difficult cases."
Accusing the "political establishment" of trying to "emasculate the will of the people," the Swiss People's Party launched another legislative initiative aimed at forcing parliament to implement the five-year-old referendum decision word for word. In German-speaking usage, this second initiative is called "Durchsetzungsinitiative" from the verb "durchsetzen" (to insist, to push through, to assert one's opinion, to get one's way).
The text of this bill looks much more radical. In particular, foreigners (including children of migrants born in Switzerland) who have committed much less serious crimes will now also be subject to automatic expulsion. Moreover, no exceptions or concessions are to be provided. On February 28, 2016, Swiss voters will have the final and decisive say on this matter, but already now debates on this issue are raging in the country.
Foreign citizens living in Switzerland, as is known, do not have the right to vote in federal referendums, but they certainly have their own opinion on this issue. Here is what, for example, a reader of the Russian-language version of Swissinfo.ch, Evgeny, writes: "I believe that we should be expelled! Exceptions may only apply to persons who have political asylum, as well as persons whose minor children are Swiss citizens."
Emigrant from Brazil Ana also speaks categorically: "It is absolutely right that a person who has committed a crime, even a fairly minor one, should be automatically deported to his home country. The Swiss must defend their homeland." Angelica, originally from Spain, believes it is an "excellent initiative," while Marco considers it "unacceptable." The Russian-speaking reader Anna agrees with Angelica: "The first rule is that you must respect and obey the laws of the country in which you intend to live."
The opinion of social network users regarding the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), the country's strongest political organization, which received nearly 30% of the vote in the recent parliamentary elections, is also highly ambiguous. This party is distinguished by far-right, some even say populist, views and ideas. The "People's Party" is opposed to the European Union, to migrants, advocating for unlimited direct democracy and the power of the people, in whose name the party supposedly always speaks.
Many, like Fatima, who specifically clarifies that she was born in Switzerland, believe that the expulsion of foreigners who have broken the law is normal practice. "But in order for expulsions to be carried out in strict accordance with the law, and so that no one has grounds to accuse the authorities of racism, it is necessary to take into account all significant factors. These include, for example, the type of offense and the length of stay in the country. The law that the initiative proposes to adopt risks becoming a tool in the hands of extreme nationalists."
The same opinion is held by Bashkim Iseni, a political scientist and editor-in-chief of the website albinfo.ch. "The overwhelming majority of our readers understand that this initiative, if approved, could affect each of us. The Swiss People's Party lumps together itinerant criminals and those who have spent their entire lives in this country and only once strayed from the righteous path."
Bashkim Iseni gives the example of a cleaning woman who was convicted for speeding, and several years later also for concealing part of her income from the pension insurance fund (AHV/AVS). If the initiative receives a majority of votes, this woman will be automatically expelled from Switzerland.
"Personally, I respect the criminal code, so to speak, and highly value the chance for a prosperous life that this country offers us. But this initiative is dangerous because it creates two classes of citizens. If it is adopted, courts will lose the ability to evaluate each situation individually. I am familiar with a society where this is exactly how things are done, and I cannot imagine that such a thing could become possible in Switzerland," says Bashkim Iseni, who was born in Macedonia to a Kosovar family and emigrated to Switzerland at the age of 18.
Director of the Institute of Sociological Research at the University of Geneva Sandro Cattacin is convinced: if given the opportunity, the overwhelming majority of foreign citizens living in Switzerland would vote against the SVP initiative. “As a rule, personal experience of emigration is a good vaccination against xenophobia,” he says. There are, however, exceptions, and many foreigners support the “Durchsetzungsinitiative” based on the familiar principle: “We suffered, now you suffer too!”
“Former guest workers, Italians or Spaniards of advanced age, who still remember the very strict rules of the 1970s, when the slightest transgression could lead to loss of a job and, consequently, a residence permit in Switzerland, may develop a sense of injustice. They say to themselves: we went through all that, why should the Swiss treat those who came after us more leniently?” explains Sandro Cattacin.
As he further notes, second-generation foreigners also now feel a sense of disappointment. “Some say to themselves, how is it possible, we did everything we could to integrate into the country's society, we always behaved correctly, and yet we are still to some extent victims of discrimination. Often this leads to a desire to appear as a ‘good foreigner’ at any cost, often at the expense of ‘bad foreigners,’ which results in a denial of one's own identity and personal experience,” concludes Sandro Cattacin.
Samuel JABER.
Translation by Lyudmila Klot.