Switzerland is scheduled to hold a vote this summer on a proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million, the latest initiative by the nation’s leading right-wing party to restrict immigration.
The (SVP), which holds the most seats in parliament, announced the referendum on Wednesday after securing sufficient support through petition signatures.
The measure, set to be included on the national ballot on June 14, comes as the population has neared 9.1 million, according to the Federal Statistics Office.
The anti-immigration campaign was proposed as officials noted that now account for roughly 27 percent of the population.
The SVP, which has long sought to curb rising migration, stated that more than 1 million immigrants from the European Union (EU) arrived in Switzerland in 2024.
The party described the situation as “uncontrolled immigration,” claiming that “the majority of the Swiss population is affected” by increased strain on environmental resources and infrastructure.
“Our small country is at breaking point,” the party said. “Natural areas are being paved over. There are growing traffic jams on the roads, overburdened public transport, overcrowded schools, , sharply increasing crime, and skyrocketing costs for Swiss taxpayers.”
If the measure becomes law, the combined population of Swiss citizens and foreign residents must not exceed 10 million by 2050.
If the population reaches 9.5 million before then, the government may take steps to limit growth by introducing measures on asylum and family reunification, noting that many immigrants — primarily Muslim men from North Africa, the Middle East, and Afghanistan — enter through asylum applications.
Major Swiss political parties outside the SVP, including centrist, left-leaning, and liberal groups, have reportedly rejected the initiative.
Critics cautioned that the passage of such a measure could strain , as most foreign-born residents come from other EU countries.
In response, the SVP said lawmakers “could not have made it clearer that they are indifferent to the concerns of the population, which is increasingly suffering from uncontrolled immigration.”
They also emphasized that they do not plan to terminate the “free movement of persons agreement with the EU,” which allows European citizens to move and work freely across borders, and added that such a cancellation would remain a last resort if the Federal Council fails to limit immigration.