Poorly integrated foreigners could have their residence permits revoked and even face deportation.
This content was published on
1 minute
The Senate on Wednesday followed the House of Representatives in approving a proposal by the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, despite opposition by the centre-left.
A second motion imposing stricter pre-conditions for naturalisation applicants was also passed. Successful candidates must demonstrate a good level of integration and have a good knowledge of one of the four national languages, it said.
Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf pointed out that the law on naturalisation was already in the process of being modified by her ministry, independently of the current parliamentary moves.
She said integration and language skills would be the central focus of the amended law, rendering the latest motions superfluous.
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.
Read more
More
Foreigners want to be able to ‘Swissify’ names
This content was published on
Second@s Plus Aargau, part of a national group that fights for citizenship and equal opportunities, wants to submit a bill that would enable naturalised Swiss to change their name without any problem. Around a fifth of Switzerland’s 7.7 million inhabitants are foreigners, with an estimated 500,000 of them being second or third generation. So-called secondos…
This content was published on
Ahead of a nationwide vote on naturalisation methods on Sunday, swissinfo travelled to Meggen to witness the procedure. Five years ago, the Federal Court outlawed ballot box decisions on citizenship requests, prompting a challenge from the rightwing People’s Party. The People’s Party argues it is up to communes to decide on the procedure – by…
This content was published on
The book Migration in Pictures conveys a playful and at times inscrutable look into Switzerland’s migrant community. The picture essays of 12 photographers are complemented by journalistic and scientific contributions. The book was published by “Here and Now” in 2006.
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.