What do you think might be the consequences, should the expulsion initiative go through? It has been mentioned before that it could set the EU against CH and put in jeopardy all the 1999 reciprocal agreement. Do you believe this to be the case? What else might be at risk IYHO?

It all seems a bit pointless; the "expelled" could, for example, come back on the next train & due to Schengen without even having their passports checked.

Living in Canton Schwyz, the odds of the initiative being passed in my area is quite high. I don't think people are well-informed on this. They'd rather just keep Switzerland "criminal" free anyway they can. The jails are over-filled and the police presence is growing. Many feel by expelling the bad apples, it will relieve the situation. Unfortunately, most will also grudgingly agree that in reality, it won't. It just looks so good on paper.

I've read that it will start a chain reaction which will result in Switzerland being swallowed by an enormous black hole, closely followed by the rest of the world, the universe and anything else that exists, has ever existed or will exist.

Or maybe it will just get shot down by the Federal Government for being unconstitutional, unworkable and a bit silly, really.

Hopefully, those who are serious about living here would think twice or more before letting impulses of anger overtake them.

Hopefully, a drop in crime without a surge in police presence. That's all I really care about, really.

Doesn't the definition of 'impulse' exclude thinking even once about it?

I for myself find organised crime more scary than those related to anger issues. And I doubt that people involved in organised crimes will be kicked out, at least not those that are a bit higher up in the hirarchy.

Wot? Again?

I thought that was the CERN full throttle test next year.

Yes, yes, I know - it would hardly be the end of the World, or even Switzerland. it is just that, for me, as a Swiss/British recently returned, it feels very uncomfortable- especially after the Minaret vote. Our area here is covered with 100s of posters - despite having practically no foreigners here bar the Italians/Spanish and Portuguese who arrived in the 50s/60s/70s inter-married, inter-bred- integrated. I taught for most of my life in multiracial schools in a multiracial town - and I just feel that this initiative is NOT a good way forward.

You'll get used to it.

I know exactly what you mean, though. Going from a refugee unit in cosmopolitan Leicestershire to a country where it's normal to have xenophobic images all over the place (and I don't just mean on political posters) was a bit of a shock, but in the end it just becomes part of the landscape, along with the mountains, the lakes and the pursed lips on the tram.

No, we'll just shrink and eventually disappear into one of those holes in a slab of Emmentaler cheese served on an EU plate.

In my opinion this is far less important than the outcome of the `tax vote'. Nice comments below this article.

while deporting criminals makes sense to a certain degree, one thing has to be clear: the SVP wants to get rid of all foreign nationals and naturalized Swiss citizens. the upcoming vote is just a one step in that direction.

so while I'm all in favor of having individuals who commit very serious crimes deported, I can't in good conscience vote in favor of the initiative or the counter initiative.

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I think you're confusing SVP with PNOS..

Not at all - many SVP members are also members of the PNOS

And I have met many SVP-supporting Swiss who have never expressed an opinion that all foreigners and naturalised Swiss should be deported. On the contrary, one of my friends was delighted for me when we got our naturalisation. The only thing one can say with certainty is that the SVP has a very broad range of support. I think also as a general rule, the further west one goes, the less extreme the SVP/UDC become.

True, most of the extremists within the SVP live in the greater Zurich area. Unfortunately, those are the ones that set the agenda. personally know several SVP members (unavoidable in a 150-people village) from our local community who are racist to the extent of Naziism. Two of them are heavy-weights in the Gemeinderat.

These two points are in line with this initiative.


err... this strikes me as paranoia.

yes, most SVP members are paranoid. Just look at their posters. The SVPs whole party agenda solely aims at getting rid of as many foreigners as possible as quickly as possible.

No, this strikes me as paranoia. Show me where the SVP says that, then I'll believe you.

I know what you meant. Tell me where the SVP says it ain't so and I'll believe you. We both know that most SVP voters are racists - and that's why they vote SVP. Of course, they don't go about announcing that publicly, as that would land them in court.