| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Swiss voters back deportation plan |
| 2010-11-30 |
| [Al Jazeera] Switzerland has endorsed a far-right push to automatically expel foreign residents convicted of certain crimes, to the dismay of critics who described it as a "dark day for human rights." ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... The approval of the initiative in a referendum was an expression of insecurity, Simonetta Sommaruga, the country's justice minister said, stressing the government would examine how to implement the new rule without violating its international obligations. In the vote, 52.9 per cent were in favour of automatic expulsions and 47.1 per cent were against, with the country's German-speaking majority largely backing the proposal. Only six of the country's 26 cantons rejected the initiative. The vote came exactly a year after Switzerland shocked the world by agreeing to ban the construction of new minarets, which was another proposal backed by the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP). The decision on Sunday "is a first step on the way towards greater security," said the SVP in a statement. As with their campaign against minarets, the far-right party launched an aggressive push for the expulsion of foreign criminals, saying those guilty of certain crimes should be stripped of their right to remain in the country. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 International obligations versus internal security: Only a politician could be uncertain of which is more important. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2010-11-30 12:27 |