Geneva: Swiss state broadcaster SF1 says exit polls indicate that voters narrowly backed a plan to automatically deport foreigners found guilty of committing serious crimes or benefit fraud.
SF1 says exit polls show 53 per cent of voters have voted in favour of the proposal put forward by the nationalist Swiss People's Party, or SVP, and with 47 per cent of those polled against.
The head of polling group gfs.bern, Claude Longchamp, says a three per cent margin of error means the final outcome cannot be predicted with certainty yet.
The SVP plan drew fire from legal experts and anti-racism groups ahead of Sunday's vote.
A government-backed proposal would have required case-by-case review by a judge before an individual is deported.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 21:37