GENEVA- The population of Switzerland has surpassed the nine-million mark for the first time, government statistics showed on Thursday.
The Federal Statistical Office reported 9,002,763 people were living in Switzerland at the end of June.
Some 27 per cent of them hold a foreign passport, with Italians and Germans the first and second biggest groups.
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which wants immigration reduced and asylum rules toughened, organised a voter initiative called “No to 10 million Swiss.’’
The initiative demanded that the population of permanent residents must not exceed 10 million before 2050.
It took 12 years for the population to grow from eight million to nine million.
When the population has reached 9.5 million, the SVP wanted immigration and naturalisation of foreigners to be drastically restricted.
As is common in Switzerland, the SVP’s plan will be decided by a popular vote. There is no date yet set for the referendum. (dpa/NAN)
