http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1498261&Itemid=1
Switzerland Approves Hardened Asylum Law to Curb Influx of Refugees
Bern, Jun 10 (Prensa Latina) The Swiss backed a tightening of the asylum law aimed to curb the number of refugees entering the country, according to preliminary results released after a referendum held over the weekend.
Following the close of polling, television announced that nine of the 23 cantons approved with 79 percent of the vote changes in the law.
A few hours after, the figures from 10 other cantons were reported, where the results were similar.
The changes include the cancellation of the possibility of using the refusal of military service as an excuse to seek asylum, as well as the opportunity to request from embassies in other countries.
Despite the support given in the referendum, part of the country opposed the new law, while human rights advocates, churches and trade unions had gathered in a coordination group "against exclusion and xenophobia".
Currently, around 48 000 people await a response to their requests for asylum, and in 2012 only 11.7 percent of applicants succeeded, after two years of waiting.
Last year more than 28 000 individuals, mainly from Eritrea, Nigeria, Tunisia, Serbia and Afghanistan, came to Switzerland, a record since 2002.
During the last three decades, the Federal Asylum Act has been revised a dozen times, every three years on average.
In the referendum held on Sunday, the Swiss also spoke unsuccessfully regarding a proposal to elect the seven members of the Federal Council of Government in votes every four years, and not in Parliament, as it had been.
In accordance with Swiss law, the citizens of that country can bring many issues to a referendum, and it is estimated that they attend polls about four times a year to resolve issues of national or community level.
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Received on Mon Jun 10 2013 - 18:07:17 EDT