Fewer than 500 young people have applied for Swiss citizenship since the law changed earlier this year to ease naturalisation rules for third-generation immigrants.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/sb
According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), between February 15 – when the change to the law came into effect – and the end of June, 482 young third-generation immigrants applied for a Swiss passport, the Le Matin Dimanche newspaper reported on Sunday.
The keenest were youngsters of Italian origin (255), followed by Turkish (65), Kosovar (38), Spanish (30), Macedonian (17) and Portuguese (17).
Last year there was a national vote on this issue. In February 2017, 60.4% of voters endorsed a reform to simplify the citizenship procedure for immigrants whose grandparents came to Switzerland.
According to Geneva University sociology professor Philippe Wanner, around 25,000 young people aged 9 to 25 are in theory eligible for a passport.
However, despite a simplified procedure, Wanner said there were still a number of constraints, including the administrative steps, costs, individual motivation and compulsory military service.
Wanner believes that after the initial rush, the average number of facilitated naturalisations for this category of applicants will stabilise at around 150 a year.
Some critics like the conservative right Swiss People’s Party still believe that the change will result in massive numbers of people seeking citizenship. Aargau parliamentarian Andreas Glarner told the Sunday paper that “the figures will increase and the worst is to come”.
Application procedure
Normal procedure in Switzerland is that non-nationals must have spent ten years in the country before applying for citizenship, after which they sit tests and interviews.
The new law eases the time burden for those meeting several conditions. They must have been born in the country, hold a C permit, have gone to school in Switzerland for five years, and have a grandparent born in the country or who lived in Switzerland legally for at least six years.
The maximum age for applying through this facilitated channel is 25, to ensure candidates do not wait longer to shirk military service.
As with the standard procedure, candidates are expected to be well-integrated into their communities and to respect the values of the Swiss constitution.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Eased citizenship for third-generation immigrants to begin mid-February
This content was published on
From February 15, young people in Switzerland who fulfil certain conditions will be eligible to apply for citizenship via a simplified procedure.
This content was published on
Swiss citizenship is highly sought after – and correspondingly hard to get. swissinfo.ch looks at how to get the naturalisation ball rolling.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.