Switzerland's population cap referendum

Switzerland recently voted on a radical and unprecedented initiative: capping the country’s population to limit migration.

It’s the latest in a series of referendums around immigration policy in Switzerland, which have spanned decades. In the weeks preceding the vote, Josephine Casserly was in Switzerland to speaking to the people championing this policy to understand why concerns about immigration have grown so strong in this small, wealthy country, famed for its neutrality.

Producer/Presenter: Josephine Casserly
Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

(Image: May 2026 - a sign in Villeneuve, Switzerland, reads: "Protect Switzerland, No Switzerland with 10 million. Yes." Credit: Reuters/Denis Balibouse)