Thursday, September 06, 2007

Swiss Politicians Stir Things Up a Bit

BBC: A political row has broken out in Switzerland over a campaign poster from the right-wing Swiss People's Party, aimed at deporting foreigners - residents without Swiss citizenship - who commit crimes.

The poster, which shows three white sheep kicking a black sheep against a backdrop of the Swiss flag, can be seen all over the country ahead of general elections at the end of October.

Immigrant groups in Switzerland, left-wing parties and the United Nations complain that the poster is blatantly racist.

The Swiss People's Party, currently the largest in parliament and leading in the opinion polls, is pushing for a new law which would authorise the expulsion of foreign families, should any family member be found guilty of violent crime, drugs offences or benefit fraud.

Over 20% of Switzerland's population is foreign. Most have been in the country for many years, and around a third of them were born in Switzerland.

Swiss citizenship remains very difficult to come by, and being born in the country does not give the children or even grandchildren of immigrants the right to be Swiss. Swiss row over black sheep poster (more) By Imogen Foulkes

Mark Alexander