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| Europe |
| Swiss Referendum To Automatically Deport Foreigners Who Commit Crimes |
| 2010-11-28 |
| Voters in Switzerland will go to the polls on Sunday to decide on a proposal to automatically deport foreigners who commit crimes. Supporters of the proposal claim immigrants to Switzerland are disproportionately responsible for crime and should not be allowed to stay in the country. The proposal is the initiative of the right-wing Swiss People's Party, the party which also masterminded last year's successful campaign to ban the building of minarets in Switzerland. The People's Party points to the fact that foreigners are overrepresented in Swiss jails - about 70% of the inmates are foreign, while 23% of Switzerland's overall population is foreign. "We have in Switzerland two kinds of foreigners, the foreigners who want to work and respect our laws, and these foreigners are welcome," said Patrick Freudiger, a member of the youth branch of the People's Party. "Then we have other foreigners who commit crimes, who don't want to work," he added. "They just want to benefit from our social security, and these people should be made to leave." The proposed new law envisages automatic deportation, with no right of appeal, for foreigners who commit a wide variety of crimes, ranging from murder and rape, to breaking and entering, drug dealing, and social security fraud. The new proposal, opponents say, would mean people from second- and third-generation immigrant families in Switzerland could be deported to a country they have never lived in and know nothing about. Almost one in four people living in Switzerland is not actually Swiss, although a great many were actually born in the country. Switzerland's naturalisation process is one of the toughest in Europe, and becoming Swiss remains a long, complicated and expensive process. Just days before the vote, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights delivered a critical report on Switzerland, expressing concern about discrimination against immigrants, and recommending that the Swiss government do more to combat Switzerland's 'increasing intolerance and xenophobia". The Swiss government, worried by legal advice that the deportation proposal may violate Switzerland's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, has advised voters to reject it. Meanwhile the Swiss People's Party proposal does seem to be finding favour with voters. The latest opinion polls suggest 53% would support it. If voters do back the proposal on Sunday, Switzerland will have some of the strictest deportation laws in Europe. And, as with the banning of minarets, the case could mean Switzerland having to defend itself at the European Court of Human Rights. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #7 "...recommending that the Swiss government do more to combat Switzerland's 'increasing intolerance and xenophobia". Flippin idiot. It's the foreigners that are the problem you fool. I am glad that a few European counties are waking up to the pollution of islamic hegemony. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2010-11-28 22:34 |
| #6 I think EVERY non-citizen should purchase insurance against the cost of jail. No-insurance is a crime and automatic deportation. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2010-11-28 17:01 |
| #5 We need this here in the US. I would add two items to it though. 1. Jail first, then deportation. 2. Bill home country for jail costs. |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2010-11-28 14:13 |
| #4 CLAIM???? That's just journalist humor, BP. :-) |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-11-28 12:55 |
| #3 > claim immigrants to Switzerland are disproportionately responsible for crime CLAIM???? You're a Journalist. Is it true or not? (It's true in the UK). |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2010-11-28 09:22 |
| #2 Looks like the Ays have it |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2010-11-28 09:09 |
| #1 Follow this with a law making it illegal for a muslim to not follow the Holy Crayon, and they'll be gone in a heartbeat. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-11-28 02:24 |