GENEVA: A large majority of Swiss voters rejected Sunday a bid to dramatically reduce immigration from the European Union, amid fears it would have jeopardised relations with the bloc, projections showed.

A full 63 percent of Swiss voters were seen voting "no" to the initiative backed by the populist right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) -- Switzerland's largest party -- to tear up an agreement permitting the free movement of people between Switzerland and the surrounding EU, according to projections from the gfs.bern polling institute shortly after polls closed.