Swiss House rejects initiative to ease naturalisation
With a two-thirds majority, the Swiss House of Representatives voted against the popular initiative that aimed to simplify naturalisation. It also rejected counter-proposals put forward by minority members of the House.
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Swiss House rejects initiative to ease naturalisation
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The House debated the popular initiative “In favour of modern civil rights (democracy initiative)” for around five and a half hours on Thursday. At the request of the majority of the Political Institutions Committee (SPK-N), it voted against the initiative by 130 votes to 62 with one abstention. The Social Democratic party and the Greens supported the initiative. Now the initiative will go to the Senate.
The democracy initiative was submitted by the civil society alliance “Aktion Vierviertel” and calls for the federal government to be responsible for naturalisation legislation. The cantons would be responsible for carrying out the procedures, but would no longer be able to set criteria.
The initiative also would allow people to become a Swiss citizen after five years of legal residence in Switzerland. The three other requirements would be a basic knowledge of a national language (A2 level), no threat to security and no serious criminal offence.
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Currently, anyone who has lived in Switzerland for at least ten years and has a C residence permit can apply for naturalisation. Cantonal legislation also stipulates a minimum stay of between two and five years in the municipality and canton. The cantons can also issue further requirements and regulate the naturalisation procedure on their territory.
House members in the minority unsuccessfully put forward alternative constitutional amendments. Left-wing parties called for easier naturalisation for the second generation of foreigners. Currently this is only possible for the third generation. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party would have wanted other nationalities to be renounced in the naturalisation process.
Translated from German by AI/jdp
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