A major Swiss political party has launched an anti-immigrant campaign
that worries U.N. anti-racism officials.
One poster produced by the Swiss People’s Party, or SVP, shows three white sheep
and one black one standing on a Swiss flag -- and one of the three white ones is
using its hind legs to kick the black sheep off the flag, The Independent reported.
The party, which holds the largest number of seats in the Swiss Parliament, is pushing
a number of controversial proposals, including a law that would expel an entire
immigrant family if a child under 18 commits a crime. Ulrich Schluer, one of the
party's leaders, wants to ban the building of minarets attached to Muslim mosques.
About 25 percent of the Swiss workforce consists of immigrants, although they are
for the most part guest workers who cannot gain citizenship for themselves or their
children.
Doudou Diene, the U.N. special rapporteur on racism, expressed concern about the
SVP rhetoric. He said earlier this year that a "racist and xenophobic dynamic" appeared
to have moved from extremist politics to the mainstream in Switzerland
.
© Copyright United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.