Switzerland votes on immigration What you need to know about the "No 10 million Switzerland" initiative

The population is growing, political pressure is increasing: With the 10 million initiative, the SVP is calling for stricter interventions in immigration. But what exactly does this mean? Here you will find the most important questions and answers about the initiative.

Keystone-SDA

01.05.2026, 12:25

11.05.2026, 13:45

SDA

On June 14, the people and cantons will decide on the SVP's popular initiative "No 10 million Swiss". It demands that the Federal Council must take action at various levels if too many people are living in the country. Below are questions and answers on the proposal:

Vote on June 14Poll shows majority in favor of the SVP's 10 million Swiss initiative

At the end of 2025, Switzerland had a population of around 9.1 million. According to a reference scenario from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the permanent resident population is expected to grow to 9.5 million by 2031, to 10 million by 2040 and to 10.5 million by 2055. From 2035 onwards, the permanent resident population will increase exclusively due to migration, as the FSO writes. The birth surplus will be negative, meaning that more people are likely to die than be born.

There have been several popular initiatives to limit the immigration of foreigners over the past 25 years; all but one have been unsuccessful. In 2002, the initiative "against the abuse of asylum rights" failed, as did the Ecopop initiative "Stop overpopulation - to safeguard the natural foundations of life" in 2012. In February 2014, however, the people and the cantons said yes to the SVP's mass immigration initiative. Since then, constitutional article 121a has called for independent control of immigration. It is implemented with a job registration requirement in sectors with a high unemployment rate.

The SVP is not satisfied with this: The Federal Council and parliament did not implement the mandate. However, the SVP had no chance at the ballot box with its limitation initiative in 2020. If it had voted yes, the Federal Council would have had to suspend the EU Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons within twelve months through negotiations. If this had not been successful, the Federal Council would have had to unilaterally terminate the agreement. Opponents therefore spoke of a "termination initiative".

With the "No 10 million Swiss" initiative or sustainability initiative, the SVP is once again attempting to limit immigration. According to the text of the initiative, the permanent resident population must not exceed ten million before 2050. If 9.5 million people live in the country before 2050, the Federal Council and parliament must take measures in the areas of asylum and family reunification. Temporarily admitted persons may no longer receive a permanent residence permit and may no longer be naturalized.

Switzerland would have to renegotiate international agreements that lead to an increase in the population with regard to exemption or protection clauses, or apply existing protection clauses. If the 10 million limit is exceeded before 2050, the Federal Council must do everything feasible to get back below this limit and terminate international agreements that lead to population growth as quickly as possible. If the 10 million limit remains exceeded for two years after the first overrun, the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the EU must be terminated.

In parliament, the initiative received almost only yes votes from the SVP. However, several members of the Center Group abstained from voting in both chambers. All other parliamentary groups, the Federal Council, cantons and cities as well as social partners rejected the initiative. The Swiss Farmers' Union has decided to abstain from voting.

The Yes camp argues that problems such as housing shortages, high rents, traffic jams, overcrowded trains and buses, crime, increasingly overbuilt farmland, stagnating wages and falling standards in schools need an answer. "Too many people are coming today and the wrong people are coming," SVP exponents said on several occasions. The SVP does not want its initiative to be understood as a cap on the number of inhabitants. After a Yes vote, around 40,000 new people could still move in each year.

The party cites figures: Since the introduction of the free movement of persons in 2002, a net 1.5 million people have moved to Switzerland, excluding asylum seekers. The population is growing 16 times faster than in Germany. Currently, around 100,000 people enter the country every year, from the EU, from third countries and as asylum seekers. An additional 45,000 apartments, an additional hospital with 420 beds, additional doctors and nurses, additional school buildings and teachers are needed for them. Although Switzerland is bursting at the seams, immigration is continuing unabated.

The opposing alliance of center-right politicians speaks of a "harmful chaos initiative". A yes vote would be followed by job chaos, bilateral agreement chaos and AHV chaos, said FDP Co-President Benjamin Mühlemann, for example. Without targeted immigration, there would be a threat of a supply collapse, for example in the care and skilled trades sectors. Construction, tourism and agriculture are also dependent on qualified workers, the Alliance argues.

The left-wing "no" committee, made up of trade unions, the SP and the Greens, warns of a reduction in employee rights, lower wages and a worsening of the staff shortage. Vania Alleva, President of the trade union Unia, speaks of a "frontal attack on all employees and social peace in our country".

The issue of limiting immigration has found sympathy beyond the boundaries of the SVP party. The center party in particular tried unsuccessfully to come up with a counter-proposal in parliament. A milder version of the initiative without jeopardizing the free movement of persons was demanded in the National Council and a constitutional safeguard clause, an immigration levy and the possibility of a separate vote on the termination of the free movement of persons in the Council of States. None of these proposals received a majority. Opponents, on the other hand, argued that it would be better to clearly and unequivocally oppose the initiative.

After a Yes vote, the Federal Council will have to regulate the implementation of the initiative in an ordinance. This ordinance will apply until parliament has approved the laws for implementation. From 2050, the limit value for the permanent resident population may be increased by any excess births. "I am convinced that our initiative would take effect from day one after its adoption," said SVP party president Marcel Dettling in an interview with the Tamedia newspapers.

The Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons has been in force since 2002; it is part of the package of seven agreements known as Bilaterals#I. These are linked to each other by the guillotine clause: If one agreement is terminated, all others automatically fall, including the land and air transport agreements, the agreements on public procurement and the mutual recognition of conformity assessments (MRA). Without Bilaterals I, the Swiss economy would lose billions in revenue, writes the Federal Council based on studies.

Immigration benefits the economy, society and the social welfare system, writes the Federal Council. Switzerland's per capita economic output has increased by 24 percent since 2002, thanks in part to the free movement of persons. Companies, hospitals and care homes are dependent on workers from the EU. "We must not burn our bridges to Europe," warned Justice Minister Beat Jans. He also believes that Switzerland's participation in the Schengen and Dublin agreements is under threat. Switzerland would have to expect more asylum applications. In addition, the police would lose access to search databases. This would jeopardize internal security.

The treaty package with the EU, which is currently being debated in Parliament, includes a safeguard clause. In order to restrict immigration from the EU, Switzerland should now be able to take independent measures if it identifies serious economic or social problems on its territory. Activation of the clause must be examined if one of four thresholds is exceeded: net immigration from the EU, the number of new cross-border commuters, the increase in unemployment or the social welfare rate. If one of these values is exceeded nationwide, the Federal Council must take action.

The Federal Council is working on measures to cushion the consequences of population growth. Among other things, it wants to take action in the area of asylum and in the faster planning and construction of apartments and housing subsidies. And a tightening of the "Lex Koller", which was recently submitted for consultation, is intended to make it more difficult for citizens of countries outside the EU and EFTA to buy property in Switzerland. The Federal Council also wants to encourage more people who already live in Switzerland to take up employment.