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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Swiss lawmakers refuse to ease citizenship rules for third-generation immigrants

A parliamentary commission rejects the push for simpler naturalisation rules for Swiss-born grandsons and granddaughters of immigrants.

Swiss lawmakers refuse to ease citizenship rules for third-generation immigrants
'Swissness' is not accessible to everyone. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Unlike many other countries, being born in Switzerland doesn’t automatically mean the person is Swiss.

If their parents were born abroad and still hold foreign passports, a person will not obtain Swiss citizenship at birth. They are referred to as second or third-generation foreigners.

Even though they were born in Switzerland and have lived their entire lives here, they have the same nationality as their parents and will continue to be considered as foreigners – until and unless they become naturalised.

But this process is quite complex, as “the obstacles to be overcome are so high that the legal requirements are impossible to meet,” according to a report by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

There have been some motions in the parliament filed by the Social Democratic and Green MPs in favour of at-birth citizenship for the second generation, but so far nothing has come out of these attempts.

And though in 2017 voters approved facilitated naturalisation for the third generation, hurdles still remain, as no progress has been made to date on this issue.

In fact, this week the Political Institutions Commission of the Council of States recommended that the parliament turn down any motions aimed at lowering the obstacles to naturalisation for this group of people.

The reason, according to the Commission, is that facilitated naturalisation for the third generation was introduced only four years ago and “we must now wait for more information on the evolution of the situation before starting a new revision of the law.”

More decisions on this issue will be made during the spring session of the parliament, which will take place from February 27th until March 17th.

In the meantime, access to Swiss nationality for this population group remains “unreasonably bureaucratic,” as in many cases proof required for this process to be successful is difficult to obtain, SEM’s report found.

This article details the criteria that third-generation foreigners must meet in order to obtain Swiss citizenship:

EXPLAINED: Why so few third-generation Swiss are actually ‘Swiss’?

As a result of these strict conditions, which in many cases are impossible to meet, most third-generation foreign nationals don’t even bother to apply for naturalisation: out 25,000 people in this group, only about 800 seek citizenship each year. 

READ MORE: Third generation fast-track naturalisation in Switzerland: What you need to know 
 
 

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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Why young people born in Switzerland can be denied citizenship

If you are expecting a child in Switzerland and look forward to him or her receiving the Swiss passport, you may be disappointed — they may not be eligible for it for a while.

Why young people born in Switzerland can be denied citizenship

Unlike a number of European countries, as well as the United States, where citizenship is a birthright, this is not the case in Switzerland.

Therefore, not all children born here have automatic access to citizenship.

A child born in Switzerland will become a citizen immediately upon birth only if both or one of the parents are/is a Swiss citizen.

It doesn’t matter how the parents got their citizenship in the first place: whether they are Swiss by birth, through ancestry, or naturalisation.

READ ALSO: Can I obtain Swiss citizenship through ancestry? 

It also doesn’t matter if you are a dual citizen — of Switzerland and another country. As long as you have a Swiss passport, you will pass on the nationality to any offspring you have.

If you don’t, then your child will remain a foreigners as well.

What happens if neither you or the child’s other parent is Swiss at the time of the baby’s birth?

In this case, the child will ‘inherit’ your nationality and will, from the legal point of view, remain a foreigner — unless and until one (or both) of the parents obtain Swiss citizenship.

If that happens before the child turns 18, he or she will become Swiss as well; after this age, they will have to apply for naturalisation themselves.

What if neither parent gets naturalised?

Then the child will remain the citizen of your country of origin, at least while he or she is a minor.

At 18, however, they will have a choice of either continuing to live in Switzerland with a foreign passport and a C permit, or applying for citizenship him/herself.

This is strictly a personal choice; there are many people who were born in Switzerland to foreign parents and who live in the country their whole lives without ever seeking citizenship.

Official statistics indicate, for instance, that 2.9 million people aged 15 and over have a migration background, but only 1.1 million of them actually have Swiss nationality.

That’s because many foreigners who live in Switzerland with a C permit don’t feel the need to seek citizenship; this permit ensures the right to remain in Switzerland indefinitely (regardless of your nationality).

The major benefits that a Swiss citizenship would offer and that C permit holders don’t have is the right to vote and run for an elective office, and the possibility to leave the country for an extended period of time without worrying about losing the residency status.

Do Switzerland-born foreigners have an advantage over other foreign nationals in terms on applying for naturalisation?

If they belong to the third generation, they are eligible for the fast-track procedure — a quicker (though not necessarily easy) way to get citizenship.

But even if they have to go through the ordinary process, they have the edge because, being born and raised in Switzerland, they are fluent in their canton’s language and are integrated — two important requirements for obtaining citizenship.

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