Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has set up a working group to implement a controversial anti-foreign crime initiative approved by voters in November.
Sommaruga said the seven-strong panel would include two members of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party which had launched the initiative.
The group, which includes also representatives of cantons and the federal administration, has until June 2011 to draw up detailed legislation.
Opponents of the initiative, including the government, had warned that it is not in line with international law and bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the European Union.
The initiative calls for the automatic deportation of foreigners convicted of crimes as well as welfare fraud. However, it left it up to the authorities to draw up a detailed list to be submitted to parliament for approval.
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Right presses for tough line on foreign crime
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The government, which had supported a compromise counter-proposal, pledged to begin work immediately to implement the decision, despite a number of legal difficulties. Experts have warned that the hardline initiative will clash with human rights and treaties with the European Union if parliament fails to draft specific legislation in line with international law. The People’s…
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The rightwing Swiss People’s Party collected more than 210,000 signatures – double the number needed – to bring the issue of the mandatory deportation of convicted criminals without Swiss citizenship to a nationwide vote. If one believes the polls taken before the campaign started – and bear in mind that the polls got it spectacularly…
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It was a black day for some while for others it was a day of glory. Those who provided feedback to swissinfo.ch on the initiative, launched by the centre-right Swiss People’s Party, were in no mood for arguing. Supporters and opponents took part in the debate with very clear positions and, depending on the language…
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But it is also likely to result in similar legal excesses, according to a Swiss researcher. A comparison with European Union countries shows Switzerland heading for a very strict policy if voters agree at the ballot box on November 28. For the US justice system 1996 is seen as a turning point as regards the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.