The people of Switzerland have rejected the tightening of migration law
The Russian editorial team of SWI (Swissinfo) recalls the chain of events. In November 2010, in a referendum, the people and cantons adopted by a 52.9% majority the legislative initiative «Für die Ausschaffung krimineller Ausländer» («For the expulsion of foreign criminals») proposed by the Swiss People's Party. This bill provided for the removal from Switzerland of foreign nationals for a period of 5 to 15 years if they committed serious criminal offenses (premeditated murder, rape, etc.) in the country. In case of repeat offenses, the convicted foreign national could be denied entry to Switzerland for up to 20 years.
According to regulations, the Swiss parliament has 5 years to develop a corresponding federal law defining the specific legal framework for implementing the popular will expressed in the referendum. However, within less than two years, the Swiss People's Party concluded that parliament was 'trampling on the will of the people' and decided to launch another initiative in pursuit of the first one, which had already been approved in the national vote.
In German-speaking usage, this second initiative was called «Durchsetzungsinitiative» from the verb «durchsetzen» (to insist, to push through, to get one's way). The text of this bill appears much more radical. For example, it now also requires the automatic deportation of foreigners (including children of migrants born in Switzerland) who have committed much less serious crimes.
Since then, Switzerland has been gripped by a real political fever, and debates around this initiative became increasingly fierce. And in such a heated atmosphere, in May 2015, both chambers of the Swiss federal parliament agreed to significantly tighten the already not-so-lenient Swiss migration legislation in hopes that the SVP would withdraw its «Durchsetzungsinitiative».
At the same time, parliament still left courts the right to make exceptions in particularly complex cases, which fully complied with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Swiss People's Party considered this sufficient reason not to withdraw its second initiative and to submit it to the judgment of the people.
So far, all the tightening amendments to Swiss migration legislation have not yet come into force. This will happen only after the referendum on February 28, 2016, provided, of course, that the people say 'no' to the «Durchsetzungsinitiative». And the calculations show that the people are rejecting this initiative, and absolutely clearly.
Based on materials from Swissinfo.ch