About 48% of voters support the immigration restriction initiative.
In June, residents of Switzerland will have to decide whether the country should establish a population cap of no more than 10 million people.
The initiative, put forward by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), will be put to a national vote. Its supporters have already gathered the necessary number of signatures under Switzerland's system of direct democracy.
The so-called "sustainability initiative" proposes to introduce a strict demographic ceiling and effectively cut off the influx of immigrants once the population reaches the 10 million mark. The government and parliament oppose such measures.
However, according to a December poll, about 48% of voters support the initiative. Whether the "sustainability initiative" will be accepted will become clear on June 14 — the day of the nationwide vote.
Since 1960, Switzerland's population has grown by about 70% — to 9.1 million people — largely due to demand for labor. Good salaries and a high quality of life attract migrants. Supporters of the cap argue that such uncontrolled immigration has led to infrastructure overload and a housing shortage.
The initiative is particularly controversial as it affects the free movement agreement with the European Union. If accepted, Swiss companies may lose access to foreign specialists, which is vital for many sectors. Additionally, other agreements that provide Swiss exporters access to the EU single market could also be at risk.
Significant support for the initiative in polls largely reflects economic discontent — primarily due to rising housing costs and increasing everyday expenses. These sentiments are heightened against the backdrop of a noticeable anti-immigrant discourse in the country.
"GDP per capita has not grown in the last three years, and real wages have decreased," emphasized Professor Stefan Legge from the University of St. Gallen. "Many today live worse than three years ago. And in such a situation, the desire to find a scapegoat inevitably arises."
