[Published: Sunday September 27 2020]
Switzerland rejects end of free EU movement
GENEVA 27 Sep (ANA) - Swiss voters have rejected in a referendum a proposal to end an accord with the EU on the free movement of people, TV projections suggest.
Broadcaster SRF said voters were set to reject the plan by 63% to 37%.
Ballots are still being counted, and final results are due within hours.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but currently accepts free movement so that it can have access to free trade and co-operate with Brussels in areas like transport and education.
The proposal came from the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), and was a successor to a 2014 referendum to introduce quotas on immigrants from the EU, which narrowly passed.
Supporters of the anti-free movement plan said it would allow Switzerland to control its borders and select only the immigrants it wants.
Opponents argued it would plunge a healthy economy into recession, and deprive hundreds of thousands of Swiss citizens of their freedom to live and work across Europe.(ANA)
FA/ANA/27 September 2020-------
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