Voters in Switzerland have narrowly approved a referendum proposal to reintroduce strict immigration quotas.
Although approval was by just 50.3% of votes, a result of more than 50% was required for the referendum to pass.
The measure obliges the Swiss to renegotiate within three years the existing agreement with Brussels which from 2007 gave most EU citizens free access to the country’s labour market.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but has adopted many EU policies. The European Commission said it regretted the introduction of limits to immigration which goes against the principle of freedom of movement for EU citizens.
Campaigning for the referendum, populists claimed that 80,000 EU citizens came into the country in 2013 instead of the predicted 8,000, which has put pressure on housing, health, education, and transport. They also argue that foreign workers drive salaries down.
Opponents, including government and business leaders, claimed that skilled immigrants are necessary to drive business and industry, making free movement imperative to Swiss success.
The economy is presently strong and unemployment only 3.2%. Over half of Swiss exports are sold in the EU’s single market.
The Swiss population numbers 8 million, of whom 23% are foreign.
