Nearly 55% of voters in Switzerland on Sunday rejected an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country’s population at 10 million, early results showed.

The populist Swiss People’s Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighboring European Union.

Some have dubbed the proposal a “Swiss Brexit” because it could jeopardize Switzerland’s deep ties to the European Union anchored by deals that foster economic growth, cultural ties and cross-border travel, among other things. Switzerland is not one of the EU’s 27 member states, but it is all but surrounded by four of them

  • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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    1 day ago

    That’s not how immigration works. That’s how the right want you to think it works.

    I have literally never met anybody who has had their job taken by immigrants. Companies aren’t allowed to pay immigrants less money than the current citizens so there’s no reason to hire an immigrant over a citizen, in fact the opposite, a citizen is much more likely to understand the language and culture (although you do meet some people) and therefore much more able to integrate, and effectively operate in the business, whatever that business is.

    If you want to emigrate into a country you have to usually prove that you’re not going to cost that country any money. You have to prove that either you have the means to support yourself, or that you already have an offer of employment. The only exceptions that are made are for people who are fleeing persecution or conflict. But the vast majority of potential immigrants do not meet that criteria.

    • Talentless Sculptor@lemmy.world
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      20 hours ago

      That’s not how immigration works. That’s how the right want you to think it works.

      Empty claim.

      I have literally never met anybody who has had their job taken by immigrants. ’

      Anecdote.

      Companies aren’t allowed to pay immigrants less money than the current citizens

      Of course they are. Minimum wage is not a thing in many countries.

      so there’s no reason to hire an immigrant over a citizen,

      Wrong.

      in fact the opposite, a citizen is much more likely to understand the language and culture (although you do meet some people) and therefore much more able to integrate, and effectively operate in the business, whatever that business is.

      In simple manufacturing jobs you don’t need to know the local language. Also here is a google-translated segment from an article posted this year by Swedish State media: “A compilation made by the Health and Social Care Inspectorate in 2023 shows that 97 percent of the country’s municipalities have health and social care staff who lack sufficient knowledge of the Swedish language to be able to understand what the patient himself is expressing and to be able to correctly pass it on.”

      https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/sodertalje/sprakkrav-kan-bli-lag-utmanar-personalen-inom-aldrevarden-i-sodertalje

      Let me know if you would like data from other nations I mentioned.

      • hubobes@sh.itjust.works
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        15 hours ago

        Since this thread is about Switzerland: We have the flankierende Massnahmen alongside Schengen exactly to prevent wage dumping. Companies get audited and we make sure foreign workers do not get paid less then local ones.

        Edit: Most people who immigrate to Switzerland for work end up in high-income jobs. The lower-income roles get filled too, but that’s mainly down to labour shortages rather than wage dumping.

        • Talentless Sculptor@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          Yes. I mentioned something to this effect earlier. This is partly why Switzerland is not seeing a marked increase in violent crime.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        17 hours ago

        You’ve made a lot of claims above you haven’t provided evidence for any of them. You do realise that being a rude and dismissive isn’t a counter arguement don’t you?

        • Talentless Sculptor@lemmy.world
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          16 hours ago

          I understand that you didn’t read my comment and that is fine. This is just an echo-chamber any way, so I am not expecting any meaningful conversations. You have a nice day now.