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New Delhi: Voters in Switzerland have rejected a proposal to limit the country’s population to 10 million. The proposal came from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which has long campaigned on an anti-immigration platform.

Results of the voting showed that nearly 55 per cent of participants voted against and 45 per cent voted in favour of the referendum, with a turnout of 60 per cent of the population.

The referendum asked Swiss voters whether the country should place a constitutional limit on its population, ensuring that the number of permanent residents does not exceed 10 million before 2050. The proposal, titled “No to a Switzerland of 10 million!”, was put forward by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which argued that rapid population growth was putting increasing pressure on housing, transport networks, public services and the environment. Switzerland’s population currently stands at around 9.1 million and is projected to cross the 10 million mark in the coming decades.

Had the measure been approved, the Swiss government would have been required to take action once the population reached 9.5 million. These measures could have included tighter rules on asylum, family reunification, residence permits and other immigration-related policies. 

The proposal also contained a provision requiring the government to renegotiate international agreements that contribute to population growth. If those efforts failed and Switzerland’s population exceeded 10 million for two consecutive years, the government would have been obliged to terminate the country’s free movement agreement with the European Union.

Supporters of the initiative said the cap was necessary to preserve Switzerland’s quality of life and prevent overcrowding. Detractors of the move meanwhile said that it proposal could damage the country’s economy, worsen labour shortages and have an adverse effect on Switzerland’s close economic ties with the EU, its largest trading partner.