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Voters narrowly reject asylum curbs

01 November 2002

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In a referendum on Sunday 24 November Swiss voters rejected a demand that would have led to the expulsion of refugees arriving via any persecution-free country - in practice, all of Switzerland's neighbors. To be successful in a referendum the proposal has to be backed by a majority on cantons - which it was - and by a majority of voters. A very slim majority of voters - just 3,422 - meant the proposal was defeated. The proposal was opposed by 50.1 percent of voters, or 1,122,874 people and was backed by 49.9 percent, or 1,119,452. The turnout was 46.7 percent.

In the country's 26 cantons the majority were in favour, all in the German-speaking part of the country. The most populous state - Zurich - voted narrowly in favor with 50.6 percent, while the French-speaking state of Geneva came out most forcefully against the restrictions, with 61.4 percent.

see: Swiss referendum on total rejection of refugees

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