Human Wrongs Watch
By Roberto Savio*
Rome, 5 December 2014 – The fact that in a referendum Switzerland has taken a path that goes in the opposite direction from that of Europe is an unusual fact which calls for reflection, especially because Switzerland has taken a much more progressive path, while we all were accustomed to see it as a very conservative country.

Migrants have a duty to pay taxes… Many do not recognize the contributions all migrants – including women and men in irregular situations – make to the economy and to social security schemes where they live. Do you know that everyone – migrant or not – has a right to social security benefits? © OHCHR/ILO
On 30 November 2014, Swiss citizens were asked to vote on a proposal for reducing immigrants to a maximum of 17,000 per year, compared with 88.000 in 2013. This was rejected by 73 percent of the voters, after a unanimous campaign by the government, industrialists and trade unions that without immigrants there would be serious problems in keeping the economy expanding.
It is worth noting that foreigners account for 23.5 percent of the population in Switzerland, compared with an average of 4 percent in Europe as a whole.