Swiss government rejects right-wing initiative to protect borders

Swiss government rejects right-wing initiative to protect borders. Keystone-SDA

The government has said it is against the Swiss People's Party's border protection initiative. It also rejects a counter-proposal to the petition for a referendum entitled "Stop asylum abuse!"

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At its meeting on Friday, the government decided on its proposal to parliament.

The initiative would be difficult to implement, the government wrote. It would cause high costs as well as considerable burdens for the government, the cantons and the border region. If Switzerland had to terminate the Schengen and Dublin agreements, secondary migration could also increase and internal security would be weakened, it said.

+ Schengen/Dublin accords are ‘positive’ for Switzerland

The initiative from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party calls for systematic border controls and a tightening of asylum law on several points. This includes turning back people at the border who do not fulfil the entry requirements. People who enter Switzerland via a safe third country should not be granted asylum or temporary admission. A maximum of 5,000 applicants per year could now be granted asylum.

If the initiative is accepted, Switzerland would have to renegotiate or terminate international agreements if they are not compatible with the new provisions.

Adapted from German by AI/ts

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