Write an article based on this summary:

– Switzerland has rejected a proposed rule to make major cuts to immigration—a measure that supporters backed as eco-friendly. It called for limiting immigration growth to 0.2% of the population each year in order to protect the country's beauty against overcrowding, AFP reports. That would have meant cutting the number of immigrants from about 80,000 per year to 16,000, the BBC notes, in a country where some 23% of the population is foreign. The rejection by 74% of voters comes as little surprise following polls on the matter. All the country's political parties opposed it, AFP notes, citing xenophobia and economic concerns. But in Switzerland, if supporters of a movement get enough signatures, the country must hold a referendum on the matter, the BBC reports. And immigration wasn't the only issue the country voted on today, the AP reports. Another effort called for the Swiss national bank to keep a fifth of its reserves in the form of gold, a move which would have required vast gold purchases in the coming years had it not been opposed by 78% of voters.
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Voters in Switzerland on Sunday rejected plans to protect the country's wealth by investing in gold and drastically limit immigration, according to polling firm gfs.bern. 
  
 FILE - in this Nov. 16, 2014 file photo a person holds gold coins during an exhibition in Lenzburg, Switzerland. In Switzerland, a campaign is on to protect the country’s wealth by investing in gold ... (Associated Press) 
  
 FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2011 file photo a person touches gold bars in the gold store of the Cantonal Bank of Zurich ZKB in Zurich, Switzerland. In Switzerland, a campaign is on to protect the country’s... (Associated Press) 
  
 A woman casts her ballot in Chur, Switzerland Sunday Nov. 30, 2014. Voters in Switzerland have begun casting their ballots in a referendum over whether to protect the country's wealth by investing in... (Associated Press) 
  
 A man casts his ballot in Chur, Switzerland Sunday Nov. 30, 2014. Voters in Switzerland have begun casting their ballots in a referendum over whether to protect the country's wealth by investing in gold.... (Associated Press) 
  
 FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2011 file photo a person takes a gold bar in the gold store of the Cantonal Bank of Zurich ZKB in Zurich, Switzerland. In Switzerland, a campaign is on to protect the country’s... (Associated Press) 
  
 A proposal to require the Swiss central bank to hold a fifth of its reserves in gold was opposed by 78 percent of voters and supported by 22 percent, projections based on tallies provided by selected voting districts indicated. 
  
 The plan would have forced the Swiss National Bank to buy massive amounts of gold within five years and likely causing the global price for the valuable metal to jump. 
  
 The proposal to limit immigration to 0.2 percent of Switzerland's population — about 16,000 immigrants a year for a country of 8 million — received the backing of 26 percent of voters, while 74 percent opposed it. Currently, immigration is estimated at around 80,000 a year. 
  
 The "Ecopop" initiative would also have forced Switzerland to devote a large chunk of its foreign aid to programs aimed at reducing population growth in poor countries. 
  
 Earlier this year, Swiss voters narrowly backed a proposal by the nationalist People's Party to reintroduce quotas for immigrants. The outcome has proved to be a political headache for the Swiss government as it now needs to renegotiate bilateral treaties with the European Union, of which it isn't a member. 
  
 A third national referendum, which would have abolished special tax discounts for rich foreigners living in Switzerland, was also defeated, according to gfs.bern. The pollsters predicted 60 percent voted against the measure, while 40 percent were in favor of it. 
  
 Official results are expected to be published later Sunday. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption As Imogen Foulkes reports, around 74% of people voted against the measure 
  
 Voters in Switzerland have decisively rejected a proposal to cut net immigration to no more than 0.2% of the population. 
  
 The country's 26 cantons rejected the proposal, with about 74% of people voting no in Sunday's referendum. 
  
 Supporters of the measure argued that it would have reduced pressure on the country's resources. Opponents said it would have been bad for the economy. 
  
 Around a quarter of Switzerland's eight million people are foreigners. 
  
 The measure would have required the government to reduce immigration from about 80,000 to 16,000 people a year. 
  
 Image copyright EPA 
  
 Under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, citizens can force a referendum if they muster enough signatures of support. 
  
 The country voted in February to re-introduce immigration quotas, in effect opting out of an EU free movement agreement. 
  
 The government still has to implement that referendum result, which threw relations with the EU into turmoil. 
  
 Two other referendums were also being held on Sunday: one on forcing the central bank to boost its gold reserves and one on scrapping a tax perk for wealthy foreigners. 
  
 They, too, failed to garner enough support for the measures to pass into law. 
  
 'Ecopop' 
  
 The immigration proposal was dubbed the Ecopop measure, after Switzerland's 40-year-old Ecopop movement which seeks to link environmental protection with controlling population growth. 
  
 The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says that while unemployment is low and living standards are high, many Swiss worry about overcrowding and environmental degradation. 
  
 Switzerland's population has grown by over a million in 20 years, and is currently 8.2 million. Some 23% of its inhabitants are foreign nationals, most of them from EU states. 
  
 Last year, net immigration stood at 81,000, according to public broadcaster Swiss Info. 
  
 Supporters of the measure said restricting immigration would safeguard Switzerland's environment by reducing the need for new transport links and new housing. 
  
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption People voting in Bern on Saturday 
  
 The proposal also included a measure to limit overpopulation abroad by devoting 10% of Switzerland's overseas aid to family planning in developing countries. 
  
 Opponents, among them all the major political parties, argued that the proposals would be bad for the economy because business leaders wanted to be able to recruit skilled labour from across Europe. 
  
 They also feared that if passed, the measure could put the country in breach of its international commitments and damage its image. 
  
 Many environmental groups argued that if the Swiss really wanted to protect their environment, they should adjust their own lifestyles, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes said. 
  
 Immigration in Switzerland 
  
 Image copyright Swiss Social Archives Image caption Switzerland recruited high numbers of foreign workers in the 1950s and 1960s 
  
 Switzerland's population is about 8.18 million - of whom 1.96 million are not Swiss nationals, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) 
  
 EU citizens make up the vast majority of immigrants in Switzerland 
  
 The largest group of foreign nationals living in Switzerland is Italians; immigration from Italy started more than a century ago, but difficulties getting Swiss nationality meant many families remained Italian 
  
 The second largest group comes from Germany, and the third largest comes from the former Yugoslavia. 
  
 What is behind Swiss 'Ecopop' vote? ||||| GENEVA (AFP) - 
  
 Swiss voters Sunday will decide whether to dramatically cut immigration numbers in the name of saving the environment, in a referendum that opponents have labelled xenophobic and disastrous for the economy. 
  
 Most voters have already cast their ballots by mail, and initial results should be available shortly after polls close at noon (1100 GMT). 
  
 Surveys have shown the so-called Ecopop initiative gaining momentum in recent weeks but still indicate it is doomed to fail. 
  
 In the latest opinion poll, 56 percent said they would nix the proposal which maintains that the current influx of foreigners is swelling the Alpine nation's population and shrinking its idyllic landscapes and green spaces. 
  
 Supporters however stress that surveys often underestimate backing for populist initiatives and insist the country could be in for a surprise. 
  
 It would not be the first time. 
  
 Last February, the approval of an initiative demanding quotas for immigration from the European Union caught many off guard and threw non-member Switzerland's relations with the bloc into turmoil. 
  
 - 'Already too crowded' - 
  
 Foreign nationals already make up nearly a quarter of Switzerland's eight million inhabitants, official statistics show. 
  
 According to Ecopop, immigration is adding 1.1-1.4 percent annually to the Swiss population, putting the country on track to house up to 12 million people by 2050. 
  
 "It's already getting too crowded here," Anita Messere of the Ecopop committee said, arguing that the inhabitable plains of the mountainous country were being covered in concrete at a rate of more than one metre (yard) per second. 
  
 The campaign wants to cap immigration growth at 0.2 percent, or an addition of around 16,000 people annually, which it says would allow the number of inhabitants to increase to just 8.5 million by the middle of the century. 
  
 It also wants to help rein in over-population beyond Switzerland's borders, calling for 10 percent of the country's development aid budget to go to family planning initiatives abroad. 
  
 The government, all political parties, employers and unions have rejected the initiative, slammed by some as xenophobic and by others as a threat to Switzerland's economy which depends heavily on immigrant labour. 
  
 Christian Luescher, a parliamentarian for the Liberal Party and co-chair of the committee opposing Ecopop, described the initiative as "absolutely absurd". 
  
 "It aims to drastically, linearly and arbitrarily reduce immigration to Switzerland, with absolutely no consideration for the needs of the economy," he told AFP, warning it would "impoverish our country". 
  
 - Tax hikes for rich foreigners? - 
  
 The Swiss will also vote Sunday in two other national referenda as part of their famed direct democratic system. 
  
 Polls hint voters are also likely to reject a bid to scrap special tax breaks for rich foreigners living but not working in Switzerland, who today can choose to be levied on their spending rather than income. 
  
 Switzerland counts 5,729 millionaires and billionaires with foreign passports, who together pay around one billion Swiss francs ($1.04 billion, 830 million euros) in taxes annually. 
  
 That is a far cry from what they would have paid had they been levied at the same percentages as average Swiss taxpayers, say the left-leaning parties and unions behind the initiative. 
  
 "This system is morally indefensible," Geneva-based student Roger Gulke told AFP. 
  
 But backers of the system insist wealthy foreigners contribute substantially to Swiss tax coffers and inject huge sums directly into the local economy, warning many will leave the country if they face higher taxation. 
  
 "You'd have to be completely crazy to wave goodbye to this godsend to our economy," Luescher said. 
  
 The third issue on the table is a call to force Switzerland's central bank to increase its gold reserves and it also appears destined to fail, according to polls. 
  
 But fear of a surprise win has stirred up global gold markets, with economists warning it would wreak havoc on trading worldwide. 
  
 The initiative would oblige the Swiss National Bank to boost its gold reserves to at least 20 percent of its holdings, nearly three times more than today's level of seven percent. 
  
 Analysts have warned the bank would be forced to buy around 10 percent of the annual global gold production through 2019 to meet that requirement. 
  
 by Nina Larson 
  
 © 2014 AFP |||||
Skriv en artikel baserad på denna sammanfattning: – Schweiz har avvisat en föreslagen regel för att göra stora nedskärningar i invandringen – en åtgärd som supportrar stödde som miljövänlig. Parlamentet kräver att invandringstillväxten begränsas till 0,2 % av befolkningen varje år för att skydda landets skönhet mot överbeläggning, rapporterar AFP. Det skulle ha inneburit att antalet invandrare hade minskat från cirka 80 000 per år till 16 000, konstaterar BBC, i ett land där omkring 23 procent av befolkningen är utländsk. Avslag från 74 procent av väljarna kommer som en liten överraskning efter opinionsundersökningar i frågan. Alla politiska partier i landet motsatte sig det, konstaterar AFP, med hänvisning till främlingsfientlighet och ekonomiska bekymmer. Men i Schweiz, om anhängare till en rörelse får tillräckligt många underskrifter, måste landet hålla en folkomröstning i frågan, rapporterar BBC. Och invandringen var inte den enda frågan som landet röstade om idag, AP-rapporterna. En annan ansträngning krävde att den schweiziska nationalbanken skulle behålla en femtedel av sina reserver i form av guld, ett drag som skulle ha krävt enorma guldköp under de kommande åren om den inte hade motarbetats av 78 procent av väljarna.
Write an article based on this summary: – Switzerland has rejected a proposed rule to make major cuts in immigration – a measure supported by supporters as environmentally friendly. Parliament called for immigration growth to be limited to 0.2% of the population each year to protect the beauty of the country from overcrowding, reports the AFP. This would have meant that the number of immigrants had fallen from about 80,000 per year to 16,000, according to the BBC, in a country where around 23% of the population is foreign. Rejection of 74% of voters comes as a small surprise after polls on the issue. All political parties in the country opposed it, AFP notes, citing xenophobia and economic concerns. However, in Switzerland, if supporters of a movement receive enough signatures, the country must hold a referendum on the matter, reports the BBC. And immigration was not the only issue that the country voted on today, the AP reports. Another effort required the Swiss National Bank to retain one fifth of its reserves in the form of gold, a move that would have required huge gold purchases in the coming years had it not been opposed by 78% of voters.
BERN, Schweiz (AP) — Väljare i Schweiz på söndagen avvisade planer på att skydda landets förmögenhet genom att investera i guld och drastiskt begränsa invandringen, enligt valfirman gfs.bern. FILE - i denna November 16, 2014 fil foto en person håller guldmynt under en utställning i Lenzburg, Schweiz. I Schweiz är en kampanj på att skydda landets rikedom genom att investera i guld ... (Associated Press) FILE - I denna augusti 8, 2011 fil foto en person berör guldtackor i guldaffären i Kantonal Bank of Zürich ZKB i Zürich, Schweiz. I Schweiz är en kampanj på gång för att skydda landets... (Associated Press) En kvinna lägger sin röstsedel i Chur, Schweiz söndag 30 november 2014. Väljare i Schweiz har börjat rösta i en folkomröstning om huruvida man ska skydda landets rikedom genom att investera i... (Associated Press) En man lägger sin röstsedel i Chur, Schweiz söndag 30 nov 2014. Väljare i Schweiz har börjat rösta i en folkomröstning om huruvida man ska skydda landets rikedom genom att investera i guld.... (Förenade Pressen) FILE - I denna augusti 8, 2011 fil foto en person tar en guldtacka i guldaffären i Kantonal Bank of Zürich ZKB i Zürich, Schweiz. I Schweiz är en kampanj på för att skydda landets... (Associated Press) Ett förslag att kräva att den schweiziska centralbanken att hålla en femtedel av sina reserver i guld motarbetades av 78 procent av väljarna och stöds av 22 procent, prognoser baserade på siffror från utvalda röstningsdistrikt anges. Planen skulle ha tvingat den schweiziska nationalbanken att köpa enorma mängder guld inom fem år och sannolikt orsaka det globala priset för den värdefulla metallen att hoppa. Förslaget att begränsa invandringen till 0,2 procent av Schweiz befolkning — omkring 16 000 invandrare per år för ett land på 8 miljoner — fick stöd av 26 procent av väljarna, medan 74 procent motsatte sig det. För närvarande uppskattas invandringen till omkring 80 000 per år. "Ecopop"-initiativet skulle också ha tvingat Schweiz att ägna en stor del av sitt utländska bistånd åt program som syftar till att minska befolkningstillväxten i fattiga länder. Tidigare i år stödde schweiziska väljare med knapp marginal ett förslag från det nationalistiska folkpartiet om att återinföra kvoter för invandrare. Resultatet har visat sig vara en politisk huvudvärk för den schweiziska regeringen eftersom den nu måste omförhandla bilaterala avtal med Europeiska unionen, som den inte är medlem i. En tredje nationell folkomröstning, som skulle ha avskaffat särskilda skatterabatter för rika utlänningar bosatta i Schweiz, besegrades också, enligt gfs.bern. Oppositionsundersökningarna förutspådde att 60 procent röstade emot åtgärden, medan 40 procent var för den. Officiella resultat förväntas publiceras senare söndag. Mediauppspelning stöds inte på din enhet Media bildtext Som Imogen Foulkes rapporterar har omkring 74 % av de personer som röstat emot åtgärden Väljare i Schweiz bestämt avvisat ett förslag om att minska nettoinvandringen till högst 0,2 % av befolkningen. Landets 26 kantoner avvisade förslaget, med cirka 74 % av folket som röstade nej i söndagens folkomröstning. Anhängare av åtgärden hävdade att den skulle ha minskat trycket på landets resurser. Motståndarna sade att det skulle ha varit dåligt för ekonomin. Omkring en fjärdedel av Schweiz åtta miljoner människor är utlänningar. Åtgärden skulle ha krävt att regeringen minskade invandringen från cirka 80 000 till 16 000 personer per år. Image copyright EPA Enligt Schweiz system för direkt demokrati kan medborgarna tvinga fram en folkomröstning om de uppbådar tillräckligt med underskrifter av stöd. Landet röstade i februari för att återinföra invandringskvoter och i praktiken välja bort ett EU-avtal om fri rörlighet. Regeringen måste fortfarande genomföra folkomröstningsresultatet, vilket ledde till att förbindelserna med EU hamnade i kaos. Två andra folkomröstningar hölls också på söndagen: en om att tvinga centralbanken att öka sina guldreserver och en om att skrota en skattefördel för rika utlänningar. De lyckades inte heller få tillräckligt stöd för att åtgärderna skulle kunna övergå i lag. "Ecopop" Immigrationsförslaget döptes till Ecopop-åtgärden, efter Schweiz 40-åriga Ecopop-rörelse som syftar till att koppla samman miljöskydd med kontroll av befolkningstillväxten. BBC:s Imogen Foulkes i Genève säger att medan arbetslösheten är låg och levnadsstandarden hög är många schweizare oroliga för överbeläggning och miljöförstöring. Schweiz befolkning har ökat med över en miljon på 20 år, och är för närvarande 8,2 miljoner. Omkring 23 % av invånarna är utländska medborgare, de flesta från EU-länder. Förra året uppgick nettoinvandringen till 81 000, enligt det offentliga programföretaget Swiss Info. De som stöder åtgärden att begränsa invandringen skulle skydda Schweiz miljö genom att minska behovet av nya transportförbindelser och nya bostäder. Image copyright Reuters Bildtext Folk som röstade i Bern på lördag Förslaget innehöll också en åtgärd för att begränsa överbefolkningen utomlands genom att ägna 10 % av Schweiz utlandsstöd åt familjeplanering i utvecklingsländer. Motståndarna, bland dem alla de stora politiska partierna, menade att förslagen skulle vara dåliga för ekonomin eftersom företagsledare ville kunna rekrytera kvalificerad arbetskraft från hela Europa. De befarade också att åtgärden om den antogs skulle kunna sätta landet i strid med sina internationella åtaganden och skada dess image. Många miljögrupper menade att om schweizarna verkligen ville skydda sin miljö skulle de anpassa sin egen livsstil, sade BBC:s Imogen Foulkes. Immigration in Switzerland Image copyright Swiss Social Archives Bildtext Schweiz rekryterade ett stort antal utländska arbetstagare på 1950- och 1960-talen Schweiz befolkning är cirka 8,18 miljoner - varav 1,96 miljoner är inte schweiziska medborgare, enligt Schweiz federala statistikkontor (FSO) EU-medborgare utgör den stora majoriteten av invandrare i Schweiz Den största gruppen utländska medborgare som bor i Schweiz är italienare; invandringen från Italien startade för mer än ett sekel sedan, men svårigheter att få schweizisk nationalitet innebar att många familjer förblev italienska Den näst största gruppen kommer från Tyskland, och den tredje största kommer från det forna Jugoslavien. Vad ligger bakom den schweiziska " Ecopop"-omröstningen? Ελλάδα GENEVA (AFP) - schweiziska väljare söndagen kommer att besluta om man ska drastiskt minska invandringssiffrorna för att rädda miljön, i en folkomröstning som motståndarna har stämplat som främlingsfientlig och katastrofal för ekonomin. De flesta väljare har redan avgivit sina valsedlar per post, och de första resultaten bör finnas tillgängliga strax efter att opinionsundersökningarna avslutats kl. 12.00 (1100 GMT). Undersökningar har visat att det så kallade Ecopop-initiativet har tagit fart under de senaste veckorna, men visar ändå att det är dömt att misslyckas. I den senaste opinionsundersökningen, 56 procent sade att de skulle nix förslaget som hävdar att den nuvarande tillströmningen av utlänningar ökar Alpernas befolkning och krymper sina idylliska landskap och grönområden. Anhängarna betonar dock att undersökningar ofta underskattar stödet för populistiska initiativ och insisterar på att landet kan komma att överraskas. Det skulle inte vara första gången. I februari förra året var det många som var på sin vakt när man godkände ett initiativ som krävde kvotering för invandring från Europeiska unionen och kastade ut Schweiz förbindelser med blocket som inte var medlemmar i EU i kaos. - "Redan för trångt" - Utländska medborgare utgör redan nästan en fjärdedel av Schweiz åtta miljoner invånare, visar officiell statistik. Enligt Ecopop lägger invandringen till 1,1-1,4 procent årligen till den schweiziska befolkningen, vilket gör att landet är på väg att hysa upp till 12 miljoner människor år 2050. "Det börjar redan bli för trångt här", Anita Messere från Ecopop-kommittén, menade att de beboeliga slätterna i det bergiga landet var täckta av betong i en hastighet av mer än en meter (yard) per sekund. Kampanjen vill sätta stopp för invandringstillväxten med 0,2 procent, eller ett tillägg på cirka 16 000 personer årligen, vilket det står att antalet invånare skulle kunna öka till bara 8,5 miljoner vid mitten av århundradet. Man vill också bidra till att tygla överbefolkningen utanför Schweiz gränser och kräva att 10 procent av landets utvecklingshjälpsbudget går till familjeplaneringsinitiativ utomlands. Regeringen, alla politiska partier, arbetsgivare och fackföreningar har förkastat initiativet, som av vissa slagits fast som främlingsfientligt och av andra som ett hot mot Schweiz ekonomi som är starkt beroende av invandrad arbetskraft. Christian Luescher, parlamentariker för det liberala partiet och medordförande för det utskott som motsatte sig Ecopop, beskrev initiativet som "absolut absurt". "Det syftar till att drastiskt, linjärt och godtyckligt minska invandringen till Schweiz, utan att ta någon som helst hänsyn till ekonomins behov", sade han till AFP, och varnade för att det skulle "försämra vårt land". - Skattehöjningar för rika utlänningar? -Swiss kommer också att rösta söndag i två andra nationella folkomröstningar som en del av deras berömda direktdemokratiska system. Röstundersökningar visar också att det är troligt att väljarna avvisar ett försök att avskaffa särskilda skattelättnader för rika utlänningar som bor men inte arbetar i Schweiz, som i dag kan välja att ta ut avgifter på sina utgifter snarare än inkomster. Schweiz räknar 5.729 miljonärer och miljardärer med utländska pass, som tillsammans betalar omkring en miljard schweiziska franc (1.04 miljarder dollar, 830 miljoner euro) i skatt årligen. Det är långt ifrån vad de skulle ha betalat om de hade tagits ut med samma procentsatser som de genomsnittliga schweiziska skattebetalarna, säger vänsterpartierna och fackföreningarna bakom initiativet. "Detta system är moraliskt oförsvarligt", berättade Genève-baserade studenten Roger Gulke för AFP. Men de som stöder systemet insisterar på att rika utlänningar bidrar avsevärt till schweiziska skattekassor och injicerar enorma summor direkt i den lokala ekonomin, och varnar många för att lämna landet om de drabbas av högre skatt. "Du måste vara helt galen för att vinka adjö till denna gudagåva till vår ekonomi", sade Luescher. Den tredje frågan på bordet är en uppmaning att tvinga Schweiz centralbank att öka sina guldreserver och den verkar också vara ämnad att misslyckas, enligt opinionsundersökningar. Men rädslan för en överraskningsvinst har satt fart på de globala guldmarknaderna, med ekonomer som varnar för att det skulle orsaka förödelse på handeln över hela världen. Initiativet skulle tvinga den schweiziska nationalbanken att öka sina guldreserver till minst 20 procent av sina innehav, nästan tre gånger mer än dagens nivå på sju procent. Analytiker har varnat banken för att tvingas köpa cirka 10 procent av den årliga globala guldproduktionen fram till 2019 för att uppfylla det kravet. av Nina Larson © 2014 AFP
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Voters in Switzerland on Sunday rejected plans to protect the country's wealth by investing in gold and drastically restricting immigration, according to election firm gfs.bern. FILE - in this November 16, 2014 file photo a person holds gold coins during an exhibition in Lenzburg, Switzerland. In Switzerland is a campaign on protecting the country's wealth by investing in gold ... (Associated Press) FILE - In this August 8, 2011 file photo a person touches gold bars in the gold store of Cantonal Bank of Zurich ZKB in Zurich, Switzerland. In Switzerland is a campaign underway to protect the country's... (Associated Press) A woman puts her ballot in Chur, Switzerland Sunday, November 30, 2014. Voters in Switzerland have begun voting in a referendum on whether to protect the country's wealth by investing in... (Associated Press) A man puts his ballot in Chur, Switzerland Sunday, Nov 30, 2014. Voters in Switzerland have begun voting in a referendum on whether to protect the country's wealth by investing in gold.... (United Press) FILE - In this August 8, 2011 file photo a person takes a gold bar in the gold store of Cantonal Bank of Zurich ZKB in Zurich, Switzerland. In Switzerland, a campaign is on to protect the country's... (Associated Press) A proposal to require the Swiss Central Bank to hold one fifth of its reserves in gold was opposed by 78 percent of voters and supported by 22 percent, projections based on figures from selected voting districts are stated. The plan would have forced the Swiss National Bank to buy huge amounts of gold within five years and likely cause the global price for the valuable metal to jump. The proposal to limit immigration to 0.2% of the Swiss population — about 16,000 immigrants per year for a country of 8 million — was supported by 26% of voters, while 74% opposed it. At present, immigration is estimated at around 80,000 per year. The "ECOP" initiative would also have forced Switzerland to devote much of its foreign aid to programmes aimed at reducing population growth in poor countries. Earlier this year, Swiss voters narrowly supported a proposal by the Nationalist People's Party to reintroduce quotas for immigrants. The result has proved to be a political headache for the Swiss Government because it must now renegotiate bilateral agreements with the European Union, of which it is not a member. A third national referendum, which would have abolished special tax rebates for rich foreigners living in Switzerland, was also defeated, according to gfs.bern. Opposition polls predicted that 60 percent voted against the measure, while 40 percent were in favour of it. Official results are expected to be published later Sunday. Media playback is not supported on your device Media caption As Imogen Foulkes reports, around 74% of people who voted against the measure Voters in Switzerland have firmly rejected a proposal to reduce net immigration to a maximum of 0.2% of the population. The country's 26 cantons rejected the proposal, with about 74% of the people voting no in Sunday's referendum. Supporters of the measure claimed that it would have reduced pressure on the country's resources. Opponents said it would have been bad for the economy. About a quarter of Switzerland’s eight million people are foreigners. The measure would have required the government to reduce immigration from around 80,000 to 16,000 people per year. Image copyright EPA According to Switzerland's direct democracy system, citizens can force a referendum if they muster enough signatures of support. The country voted in February to reintroduce immigration quotas and in practice opt out of an EU free movement agreement. The government still has to carry out the referendum result, which led to the chaos of relations with the EU. Two other referendums were also held on Sunday: one on forcing the Central Bank to increase its gold reserves and one on scrapping a tax advantage for rich foreigners. They also failed to obtain sufficient support to allow the measures to pass into law. The "Ecopop" Immigration proposal was named the Ecopop measure, after the Swiss 40-year Ecopop movement aimed at linking environmental protection with control of population growth. The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says that while unemployment is low and living standards high, many Swiss are concerned about overcrowding and environmental degradation. Switzerland's population has increased by over one million in 20 years, and is currently 8.2 million. About 23% of residents are foreign nationals, most from EU countries. Last year, according to the public broadcaster Swiss Info, net immigration amounted to 81,000. Those who support the measure to restrict immigration would protect the environment of Switzerland by reducing the need for new transport links and new housing. Image copyright Reuters Caption People who voted in Bern on Saturday The proposal also included a measure to limit the overpopulation abroad by devoting 10% of Switzerland's overseas support to family planning in developing countries. Opponents, among them all the major political parties, argued that the proposals would be bad for the economy because business leaders wanted to be able to recruit skilled workers from all over Europe. They also feared that the measure, if adopted, could violate its international commitments and damage its image. Many environmental groups argued that if the Swiss really wanted to protect their environment, they would adapt their own lifestyle, said the BBC's Imogen Foulkes. Immigration in Switzerland Image copyright Swiss Social Archives Caption Switzerland recruited a large number of foreign workers in the 1950s and 1960s Switzerland's population is about 8.18 million - of which 1.96 million are not Swiss citizens, according to Switzerland's Federal Statistical Office (FSO) EU citizens make up the vast majority of immigrants in Switzerland The largest group of foreign citizens living in Switzerland are Italians; immigration from Italy started more than a century ago, but difficulties in gaining Swiss nationality meant that many families remained Italian The second largest group comes from Germany, and the third largest comes from the former Yugoslavia. What is behind the Swiss "Ecopop" vote? Ελλάδα GENEVA (AFP) - Swiss voters Sunday will decide whether to drastically reduce immigration figures to save the environment, in a referendum that opponents have labeled xenophobic and disastrous for the economy. Most voters have already issued their ballots by post, and the first results should be available shortly after the polls were completed at 12.00 (1100 GMT). Studies have shown that the so-called Ecopop initiative has taken off over the last few weeks, but still shows that it is doomed to failure. In the latest poll, 56% said they would nod the proposal claiming that the current influx of foreigners is increasing the Alpine population and shrinking their idyllic landscapes and green areas. However, supporters stress that surveys often underestimate support for populist initiatives and insist that the country may be surprised. It wouldn't be the first time. In February last year, many were on guard when it approved an initiative calling for quotas for immigration from the European Union and throwing Switzerland's relations with the bloc that was not members of the European Union into chaos. - "Already too crowded" - Foreign citizens already make up almost a quarter of Switzerland's eight million inhabitants, official statistics show. According to Ecopop, immigration adds 1.1-1.4% annually to the Swiss population, leaving the country about to house up to 12 million people by 2050. "It's already getting too crowded here," Anita Messere of the Ecopop Committee, argued that the habitable plains of the mountainous country were covered in concrete at a speed of more than one metre (yard) per second. The campaign wants to put an end to immigration growth by 0.2%, or an addition of about 16,000 people annually, which it says the number of residents could increase to just 8.5 million by the middle of the century. It also wants to help curb the overpopulation outside Switzerland and demand that 10% of the country's development aid budget be spent on family planning initiatives abroad. The government, all political parties, employers and trade unions have rejected the initiative, which has been defined by some as xenophobic and by others as a threat to the Swiss economy which is heavily dependent on immigrant labour. Christian Luescher, MP of the Liberal Party and co-chair of the committee opposing Ecopop, described the initiative as "absolutely absurd". "It aims to drastically, linearly and arbitrarily reduce immigration to Switzerland, without taking any account of the needs of the economy," he told the AFP, warning that it would "deteriorate our country". - Tax increases for rich foreigners? -Swiss will also vote Sunday in two other national referendums as part of their famous direct democratic system. Vote polls also show that it is likely that voters reject an attempt to abolish special tax breaks for rich foreigners living but not working in Switzerland, who can today choose to charge fees on their expenses rather than income. Switzerland counts 5,729 millionaires and billionaires with foreign passports, which together pay around one billion Swiss francs ($1.04 billion, €830 million) in tax annually. That is far from what they would have paid if they had been charged at the same percentages as the average Swiss taxpayers, the left-wing parties and the trade unions behind the initiative say. "This system is morally indefensible," Geneva-based student Roger Gulke told AFP. But those who support the system insist that rich foreigners contribute significantly to Swiss tax funds and inject huge sums directly into the local economy, warning many to leave the country if they suffer higher taxes. "You must be completely insane to wave goodbye to this God-given gift to our economy," Luescher said. The third issue on the table is a call to force the Swiss central bank to increase its gold reserves and it also seems to be destined to fail, according to polls. But the fear of a surprise win has sparked the global gold markets, with economists warning that it would cause havoc to trade worldwide. The initiative would force the Swiss National Bank to increase its gold reserves to at least 20% of its holdings, almost three times more than today's level of 7%. Analysts have warned the bank of being forced to buy about 10 percent of annual global gold production until 2019 to meet that requirement. by Nina Larson © 2014 AFP