Swiss voters in a referendum have rejected a proposal by a nationalist party to automatically deport foreigners who commit even low-level crimes. The move was welcomed by human rights groups. The final tally showed 58.9% of voters opposed the proposal to automatically deport foreigners found guilty of committing crimes, Swiss national broadcaster SRF announced on Sunday evening. The vote saw a turnout of more than 62%, higher than any other Swiss referendum since 1992, according to the Gfs.bern polling institute, DPA reported. The proposal had been put forward by the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party, which is the largest single party in the country’s Federal Assembly. Swiss voters had already agreed to a proposal six years ago to expel foreigners who commit offenses such as rape or armed robbery after serving their jail term. But the plan was watered down, allowing judges to avoid automatic deportation in certain cases. Under the extended plan, individuals would have also been automatically expelled for lesser offenses, such as traffic violations, if they committed a second violation within a 10-year time span.
