GENEVA, Nov. 22 Kyodo (EDS: CLARI...

GENEVA, Nov. 22 Kyodo

(EDS: CLARIFYING LEAD PARA)

The Swiss will devoted on a referendum Sunday aimed at afflictively restricting the number of asylum inquirers let into the country, which is known for its opennes and humanitarianism after World War II.

If the referendum passes, Switzerland will finish its borders to virtually all asylum inquirers turning the nation of 7 million into undivided of the most restrictive countries for asylum inquirers in the developed world.

The Swiss direction and the parliament oppose the proposal, called ''the initiative against abuses in the right to asylum,'' unless in recent opinion persons supporters outnumber opponents.

The initiative also drew unusual criticism from UN High Commissioner for Refugee Ruud Lubbers.

''No other European nation has gone that far,'' Lubbers said in a statement. ''I would find it extremely worrying if Switzerland, with its hardy humanitarian tradition, were to transform itself into to greatest in number unwelcoming country to refugees in Europe''

The proposal, which will amend part of the Swiss Constitution, is lead by way of the right-wing Swiss People's Party (UDC)

The UDC's plan would prohibit foreigners from filing asylum applications in Switzerland if they have proceed by land via a nation considered ''safe.''

Since the land-locked nation is surrounded by five cause to growed countries including Germany, France and Italy, this would mean all asylum inquirers coming over land are automatically rejected

According to the Swiss restraint 95% of asylum seekers inscribe Switzerland by land. The UDC also offer proffers that airliners bringing foreigners without valid papers into Switzerland would also be ''sanctioned.''

''This means the rural parts will have more or les imprison its doors to populace fleeing persecution -- even family who have escaped atrocities, massacre or torture,'' Lubbers said.

''If the Swiss folks vote 'yes' to the initiative, it will effectively mean that any refugee arriving in Switzerland according to land will be pass overed outright, however well-founded the claim may be,'' Lubbers said.

Despite the opposition, a head conducted in mid-November showed that 43% said ''yes'' to the proposal, while 37% said ''no'' and 20% were undecided.

The UDC's proposal is gathering support among Swiss race frustrated with an increase in unemployment and crime as well as the weight of supporting the refugees accepted inside the country

The UDC argues that the proposal would obstruct abuses of the asylum arrangement and reduce the number of claims from making Switzerland less attractive to asylum inquirers The new rules, if passed, will also carve down the cost of processing asylum beseechs claims the right-wing party.

Seventy percent of the populace polled thought the government did not have a ''firm grip'' forward the asylum situation, and three on the outside of four questioned felt the richness for supporting the asylum inquirers were excessive.

According to the Swiss Federal Office for Refugee there are commonly 41,516 asylum seekers and 26116 refugee in Switzerland, a large number for a rural parts with a total population of little from one side of to the other seven million. There were 20633 asylum applications in 2001

''The proponent of the initiative place forward a lot of different issues in a actual clever manner,'' says Alexandre Trechsel vice director of the Center for Research and Documentation upon Direct Democracy at the University of Geneva.

single is the poor economic situation and high unemployment rate.

The initiative is also appealing to a portion of the population who be impressed there could be an increase in crimes with more refugee asylum inquirers and immigrants, especially after the conflicts in the Balkans.

The largest cluster of asylum seekers is from the former Yugoslavia, representing 166% of the claims, while 95% were mahometans 6% were from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 58% came from Iraq.

Since the rule launched its opposition campaign, followed according to numerous citizens' groups, support for the initiative has dropp from 57% in October to 43%

The command argues that the UDC levy forward the ''wrong solutions'' to redres the shortcomings in the asylum rule and that the initiative will make it impossible to determine whether the claims are valid.

Swiss Justice Minister mercy Metzler said the UDC's proposal was in contradiction with the Swiss ''humanitarian tradition.''

The control also warns that such measures would have a negative result on Switzerland's relationship with other European countries.

The ''safe state principle'' cannot be imposed upon other countries, and could interrupt a genuine asylum seeker from receiving any protection if he is not accepted in the neighboring nation the Federal Council explains in its recommendations for opposition in the vote

All the previous initiatives to tighten the asylum laws were disapproveed by a large majority of Swiss voters

''The flow of the vote will probably be tighter this time,'' Trechsel said, noting that 20% of undecided family will make up their minds at the last moment

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