Swiss vote to limit foreign workers captures growing European fears about immigration

Washington Post ^ | February 10, 2014 | By Anthony Faiola

[Oldeconomybuyer]

BERLIN — A tightly contested vote in Switzerland to limit workers from European Union countries brought threats of retaliation Monday from leaders across the continent.

The vote also stoked fears that Swiss citizens were reflecting the zeitgeist across Europe, where right-wing populists increasingly are seizing the spotlight with an anti-immigration political agenda.

Amid claims of an idyllic Swiss lifestyle being trampled by hordes of foreign newcomers, voters narrowly passed a referendum Sunday to curb Switzerland’s open-borders treaty with the 28-nation E.U. bloc.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

You cannot be a sovereign nation without control of your borders.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

I thought true rightingers and conservatives support sensible gun control and open borders.

That’s what CNN’s poll said.

[Personal Responsibility]

I think they are talking limiting legal immigrations - reducing the number of immigrants legally allowed in a year. Not illegal like our Mexico border problem.

“...brought threats of retaliation Monday from leaders across the continent.”

In other words: “We don’t care if your people want immigration curbed. You will not curb immigration or else!”

If they cave, they are no longer a sovereign country whose people decide what kind of country they want.

[mrsmith]

“FEAR”!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, it couldn’t just be good sense uh WashPost?

[Kevmo]

Yup. South Africa was in that position and it was faced with 90% illegal alien immigration. Within a generation, those illegal aliens were VOTING for what they wanted in that country. We are next.

[Bogey78O]

The argument that they’re losing out on the ability to go work in low wage foreign countries in exchange for cheap foreign labor didn’t seem to sway voters to the law.

[hinckley buzzard]

The problem is with the EU's open borders policy, just about anybody from anywhere is a legal immigrant, once they set foot inside the continent. They have already been inundated by hordes of islamics pouring in relentlessly, soaking up welfare resources, refusing to assimilate or work, and waging jihad against the poor feckless post Christian Euro-suckers.

Switzerland is not "rightwing," it is merely sane -- by a half a percent.

[JSDude1]

Go UKIP!

[Howie66]

I’m glad to see that somebody gets it!

Too bad that the Morons running our country into the ground aren’t that bright.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“You cannot be a sovereign nation without control of your borders.”

Yes! And you cannot sustain the character of a nation when there are rapid demographic shifts that markedly change voting patterns and the culture in a short period of time. I so resent the left taking every opportunity to characterize anyone who is trying to protect the sanctity of their nation as xenophobes and ‘right winger’ with prejudices.

[muleskinner]

The Kingdom of the Angles and Saxons is being inundated by Poles, Romanians and Bulgarians. The U.K. has very high welfare payouts - take about a disincentive to work - so the offscouring of eastern europe are taking over whole neighborhoods in the large English cities.

[LibertyOh]

Switzerland has some very stringent rules on where you can live and move, particularly once inside the country. Lived there in 2008-09, moved once between Cantons and had to get approval from the village I moved to, including getting documents from the first city I was in to show that I was not on welfare or unemployment, that my credit was good with no complaints, in addition to showing no criminal record.

Big problem for Switzerland, and the reason the large companies fought against this referendum, is their lack of skilled workers at all levels, most particularly at the higher end professional level. While there I knew a lot of Americans who had been “imported” like myself, sought out by these companies for our talents that they could not find within their own country. There were actually very few true Swiss citizens in the group I worked with, several from former Communist countries. I believe the Americans, unfortunately for us, had the highest price tags and thus when the economic crisis of ‘09 hit many were let go and returned to the US (from many different companies).

[GOPJ]

The vote also stoked fears that Swiss citizens were reflecting the zeitgeist across Europe, where right-wing populists increasingly are seizing the spotlight with an anti-immigration political agenda.

What's happening is people who must live with excessive immigrants are finally speaking up.

The elites in these countries don't live with the crime or struggle with the work of assimilation... elites just benefit from cheap labor. Cheap labor the middle classes not only have to support but also have to compete with... Time to throw liberal elites out - where-ever we find them...

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Very well said.

[GOPJ]

Thanks...

[Jabba the Nutt]

"The vote also stoked fears that Swiss citizens were reflecting the zeitgeist across Europe, where right-wing populists increasingly are seizing the spotlight with an anti-immigration political agenda."

Notice how they ignore the previous 40 years of immigration of unassimilable foreigners. They ignore the crime, the forced changes to the society and culture, which people never voted for. That a reaction from the people is finally coming ought not surprise anyone.

It's not the machinations of evil right-wing populists, it's a natural reaction to having one's life and society transformed without a voice in the situation. Immigration has been forced on the peoples of Europe by the elites, leftwing and rightwing, just like in this country. Except that the situation is worse in Europe.