Swiss voters reject 10 million population cap, early projections say

Voters in Switzerland have rejected a proposal to limit the country's population to 10 million, early projections suggest.

Not all votes have been counted, but the current trend suggests 55% of participants voted against, to 45% for.

The proposal came from the right-wing Swiss People's Party , which has long campaigned on an anti-immigration platform.

The divisive vote risked putting the country's free movement agreement with the European Union in jeopardy.

Switzerland's population has grown rapidly since 2002, when it stood at 7.3 million. Now it is 9.1 million, 27% of whom are Swiss residents who were born abroad.

However, the People Party's says that capping the population would reduce pressure on transport, housing and the environment seem not to have persuaded enough voters.

Although the Swiss People's Party insisted the population cap was designed to protect Switzerland's public services and its environment, it has a long history of campaigning on an anti immigrant platform, frequently blaming asylum seekers and minorities for societal problems.

Many others were seemingly worried at the prospect of losing much-needed workers in tourism, hospitals, and care homes.