Swiss to deport immigrant criminals?

Question

The nationalist Swiss People's party (SVP), which shares power in the governing coalition, has proposed new legislation that would see entire families of immigrants deported if their children are convicted of crimes involving violence, drugs or benefit fraud.

Sounds like a good idea to me, should we try this in the UK? Official Swiss police figures shows foreigners are four times more likely to commit crime then swiss nationals. Check out the statistics at the bottom of the link. It wouldn't surprise me in the slighest in the figures are similar in the UK.

http://www.bnp.org.uk/news_detail.php?newsId=1689

Answer 1

The Irish have the same law here. Any immigrant not just criminals but any of them who break Irish laws i.e drugs, car tax etc. They asked to leave the country. Plus they even finger print them so if they won't be able to get back in using false passports. Even the passport laws have been change. Now if a immigrant has child born here doesn't mean they get citizenship. They have to register the child with there own Embassy.

Answer 2

If an illegal immigrant commits a serious violent crime, then I think it's ok to deport them and their parents and spouse. Because the parents are largely responsible for how their kids turned out, and the spouse chose that person. But I don't think they should also deport the person's adult siblings and kids, since those people aren't responsible for how the criminal turned out. Underage siblings and kids would have to go too. That wouldn't really be fair to them, but underage people need to be with their parents. Maybe that's how the law is already written. I'm not sure.

Answer 3

To the person above LEGAL foreigners are less likely to commit crime, they have been screened, and have something to lose, for one thing, but also may just be better, given that they have been screened. Illegal immigrants are more likely to commit crime (mind you a certain percentage came specifically to run from the consequences of their crime elsewhere.)

However, this feels 'unfair' from a western point of view, yet I think it is to go after the true demographic that while foreigners to the western world may be grateful for the change in their lives, the kids born in the western world grow up comparatively impoverished from their 'western' peers because it typically takes a couple generations to go from outright poverty to a dramatically better class of life. The western born children become the 'angry' ones, not measuring themselves by their rise from their parent's country, but by the lower level they are at than others who have lived in the country for generations. Uneducated parents CAN raise educated children (look at the Asians and many individuals amongst all races) but it is a tough slog. How do they help with homework or steer their kids to the friends with 'high futures' when they can't even communicate with the parents of those prospective friends?

A 'comfortable' ethnic niche for the parents can be an economic prison for the children.

It is pragmatic, but I wonder if it will actually go forward?

Answer 4

My view of this depends on what is perceived of "foreigners". If you're just talking about illegal immigrants or legal ones who are on visas then that's okay (the illegal ones have no right to be in the country and the legal ones are guests). Those who have been naturalized as Swiss or are there as refuges are more of murky waters. It would be rather difficult to return a refuge plus their family if their child did drugs (and how many of us tried drugs when we were young). What would happen to them? And it sounds like permanent probation for those who have been naturalized.

I think there also sounds like a possibility for it to get out of hand. For example start by implementing this rule with those who are there legally on visas and then work around to those who are refuges and then naturalized citizens (revoking their citizenship status).

It's a good idea and would be great to see what happens. It would also be nice to see what impact that this could have on the EU since Switzerland is not a part but is surrounded by EU countries.

Answer 5

Very interesting...
In the UK we have the case of a young man of Italian descent who will soon be released from jail after murdering a head teacher outside his school.
The authorities have said they can't deport him as it would be against his human rights, as he has never lived in Italy, doesn't speak Italian, and his family are all here.
If we followed this Swiss idea, we could just deport the whole family....

Answer 6

I thought the Swiss had the Perfect Country. Interesting !!

Answer 7

....and what happens in all of the EU if the Swiss break out of the fatalist European stance? (whatever happens happens and do nothing) Each Sovereign nation should take crime seriously. If deportation is their solution, it's a better alternative than the WWII death camps.

Answer 8

Man comes to UK with wife from Pakistan. Works as doctor. Wife is a schoolteacher. Both respected members of the community, who contribute to the wellbeing of the UK. They have four children. Three go to university and become professionally employed but number four is the black sheep. He is a crack cocaine addict. He persistently offends. It is obvious to any reasonable thinking person that on balance this is a great family to have in the UK, or do you rather believe the BNP propaganda ?

PLEASE THINK : This can happen to any family from any ethnic origin and from any class of educational or financial background.

Answer 9

i think that it is a very good thing to have very strict immigration policy, and as sovereign nations I would have no problem with Switzerland nor would I have any problem with the UK doing this, especially since the reasoning for this is protection, which is a national government's primary concern.

Answer 10

I believe in a little concept called 'due process' and punishing entire families for the crimes of one member flouts that concept entirely.