Seventy-eight percent of Swiss voters embraced changes made to the asylum law last September as applications soared to their highest level in over a decade. Switzerland, with a population about the size of the state of Virginia, is experiencing a surge. Attributed in part to the Arab Spring uprisings, the surge is the highest number since the height of the Balkans war in 1999, when nearly 48,000 people sought refuge in the country. Among other things, the law limits the right to family reunification to spouses and children. They also discontinued using Swiss embassies for asylum seekers to apply. Meaning they would have to get to Switzerland to apply.
The takeaway is the message that the Swiss are making. That it’s OK to have an immigration/asylum policy that is good for the country and good for the immigrant. Instead of one that is bad for the country.
Link: Tougher asylum law backed by large majority – The Local.
