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The Swiss have just voted in a Referendum to deport all foreigners who commit certain crimes. First they serve their sentence, then they are deported.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11857438

Personally I can't see it having an effect on crime levels and would be against such a scheme, but I can understand the attractiveness of such a law to the man in the street. Would such a referendum be successful in the UK do you think?

Mac

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Personally if British nationals were convicted abroad, I wouldn't want them back in Blighty

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The problem is that this "Swiss People's Party" - known as the SVP over here is a quasi Fascist organisation that plays on the fears of ordinary people to gain power, just one small step at a time. Out of the 7 cabinet posts, they hold two seats - the Military and the Justice departments. Sometimes I worry the country will go the same way as George Haider took that province in Austria. Imagine having Nigel Farage in power and in control of both the Ministry of Defense and the Justice/Home Office departments.

Having said that, I bet holding a referendum in the UK and most Brits would vote for the same result.

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I would be in favor of deporting them. But I would probably do it immediately. Why support them for five to fifty years first.

I should stay out of political discussions.

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I agree spending the money to look after them for x years when you want to deport them anyway sounds silly, but I guess it allows their innocent wives and children who will be deported with them a little more time to get used to or grow up in the ways of the country from which they will eventually be kicked out of.

If it would act as a deterrent deportation might have more strength as an argument IMO, but I doubt people who commit crimes are bothered by deterrents until after they have committed the crime... having said that, what do you do with criminals after they have served their time? Treat them like everyone else, or continue to treat them as gulity? I honestly don't know.

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I read once that the vast majority of murders are domestic. And manslaughter can be as simple as being careless without any malintent, but nonetheless still causing the death of someone eg leaving the goods on the back of your lorry insecure and something falls off and kills a passersby for instance.

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Without going into too many details, his case was domestic and he served time in prison. He was found guilty of manslaughter because provocation was involved.
However, all this really tells us is that whether someone, immigrant or not, can be rehabilitated into society, depends on them and their circumstances. That's the trouble with all blanket laws, they are a blunt tool at best.

I personally think that if you commit a crime serious enough to receive a custodial sentence in a foreign country you should be ejected into the custody of your home countries prison system with future entry back into that country refused.

The problem with that is where does the trial take place? who decides on the sentence? how can it be a fair trial? what if something which carries a custodial sentence in one country doesn't hold the same punishment in another? where would the convicted person appeal or apply for early release?

So really, my argument holds no water whatsoever! Perhaps serve the sentence in the country in which the offense was committed then be ejected!


or...... now this is just an idea but we could just send all criminals to an island on the other side of the world!?... I dont think its been tried before?!...

Interestingly Britain sent transportees to America for twice as long as they sent them to Australia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation

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