On June 14, a referendum will take place in Switzerland that could significantly impact the country's migration policy, including the status of Ukrainian refugees. This concerns an initiative from the right-wing 'Swiss People's Party' (SVP), which proposes to legally limit the country's population to 10 million people by 2050.
If the proposal is supported, authorities will be required to stop considering new asylum applications after reaching the established limit, significantly restrict family reunification, and cancel temporary protection statuses, including the 'S' status used by Ukrainians. Currently, there are more than 65,000 Ukrainian citizens in Switzerland with this status.
According to the draft document, the measures will begin to apply once the population exceeds 9.5 million residents. Additionally, international agreements on free movement and humanitarian arrangements may be reviewed or even terminated.
The initiative is causing sharp debates in the country. Since 1960, Switzerland's population has grown by almost 70% to 9.1 million people, mainly due to immigration. Proponents of the restrictions cite infrastructure overload and a housing shortage.
At the same time, the government, parliament, the business community, and liberal parties oppose it, warning of the risk of labor shortages and threats to economic ties with the EU. Restrictions could complicate Swiss companies' access to foreign specialists and affect agreements that provide exporters with access to the EU single market.
According to a survey from December 2025, about 48% of voters support the initiative. Experts link this to economic dissatisfaction: over the past three years, GDP per capita has not grown, and real wages have decreased.
If the initiative is approved, Switzerland's policy may shift from integration to encouraging the return of refugees, which will directly affect Ukrainians in the country.
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