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Swiss back tighter asylum rules Swiss back tighter asylum rules
(about 2 hours later)
Swiss voters have backed plans to make it harder for asylum-seekers to get into the country. Voters in Switzerland have backed tougher laws on asylum-seekers.
The government says the new legislation will reduce abuse of the asylum system, but the UN says it could lead to breaches of refugees' rights. In a national referendum, some 67.8% of voters supported the new measures, which the government says are needed to combat abuse of the asylum system.
The laws would require asylum-seekers to have valid identity papers. The new laws cut welfare payments to those whose applications are rejected, and restrict applications from those unable to produce identity documents.
They would also cut welfare payments to those whose applications are rejected, and introduce up to two years detention for those awaiting deportation. The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, described the referendum result as regrettable.
The Swiss Refugee Council say the measures are far too strict, especially at a time when the number of people applying for asylum in Switzerland is at its lowest in 20 years. The vote gives Switzerland some of the strictest asylum and immigration laws in Europe.
"The concrete effects for the persons concerned may be that persecuted persons, real refugees, will be hindered access to the asylum procedure and may even be rejected and returned," Jurg Schertenleib of the council said. Justice Minister Christoph Blocher says they will prevent abuse while protecting real refugees.
Children's rights Ahead of the vote, he said the aim of the reforms was "to uphold Switzerland's humanitarian tradition while at the same time halting abuses".
The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Berne says that like most Western European countries, Switzerland is unwilling to have its traditionally generous asylum system exploited. 'Small problem'
And, as in other countries, our correspondent says, there are cases of people applying for asylum who are not fleeing persecution but simply looking for a better life. But the UNHCR has expressed concern about a requirement for asylum seekers to produce valid identity papers within 48 hours. Many genuine refugees have been deprived of their passports by the very persecutors they are fleeing, it says.
Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher, who piloted the legislation, says what he calls the "paradise of Switzerland" just does not have room for everybody. And Swiss church groups say they are determined to ensure that no-one ends up on the streets because of the cut in welfare payments to rejected asylum seekers.
His sentiments seem to reflect public opinion, our correspondent says, but there are concerns that Switzerland's image abroad will be damaged. The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Geneva, says the strong support for the laws is a reflection of a feeling among many Swiss that their traditionally generous treatment of refugees should not be abused.
The requirement that asylum seekers present proof of identity within 48 hours has been sharply criticised, with the UN refugee agency saying it is common for genuine refugees not to have any means of identification. But she adds that many refugee groups fear these measures are far too harsh an answer to a problem which is actually rather small.
And opponents say the introduction of up to two years detention for those awaiting deportation, including minors, could violate the UN convention on the rights of the child. About 10,000 people applied for asylum in Switzerland last year, a sharp drop from previous years.
The measures have already been passed by both parliament and the government, but opponents raised enough signatures to force a national vote.
The laws were supported by a majority of those voting in all of Switzerland's 26 cantons.