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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Could teenager be stripped of Swiss citizenship over Zurich stabbing?

The security chief of Switzerland’s largest city Zurich is calling for a teenager who stabbed a Jewish man to be stripped of his Swiss citizenship. But can it happen?

Published: 6 March 2024 14:46 CET
Could teenager be stripped of Swiss citizenship over Zurich stabbing?
You can be stripped on Swiss citizenship and deported if found of putting Switzerland's security at risk. Photo: Pixabay

The 15-year old radicalised teenager who stabbed a Jewish man in Zurich on Saturday in what police said  was an international anti-semitic attack, is a dual Tunisian-Swiss citizen.

He was naturalised, presumably together with his parents, at the age of two, in 2011.

In a video posted online, prior to the attack, he claimed allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).

Now Mario Fehr, who is responsible for the Zurich’s security, is calling for the teen’s Swiss citizenship to be revoked.

“There is no place for terrorists in Switzerland,” he said.

Can this actually be done?

As the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) explains it, “dual nationals can have their Swiss citizenship revoked if their conduct is seriously detrimental to Switzerland’s interests or reputation”.

One example of when such a drastic and irrevocable step can be taken is in the case of people convicted of war crimes, terrorism, or treason (see more about this below).

The fact that the Zurich stabber is a minor should not prevent revocation of his citizenship: according to Fehr, if the teen is convicted, then he can be deported, especially given there is a treaty to this effect between Switzerland and Tunisia.  

Have there been any cases of the government stripping a Swiss person of citizenship?

‘Mass’ expatriations took place in this country between 1940 and 1947, when 80 Swiss nationals were deprived of their citizenships because they collaborated with the Nazis.

More recently, in 2019, a Turkish-Swiss dual national lost his Swiss citizenship after being convicted by the Federal Criminal Court for being a member of ISIS.

The last such case, in 2020, involves a woman who was born and raised in Geneva but also has a French passport in addition to a Swiss one. She took her two young daughters to live in the ISIS enclave in Syria without the knowledge of their respective fathers.

In both these cases, authorities revoked their citizenships, banning them from returning to Switzerland and possibly posing a security threat within the country.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 130 countries around the world have such legislation on the books, including 19 EU members. 

This basically means that whichever country of citizenship revokes the passport first, the other has no choice but to take in the law breaker.

In the case of a Geneva woman, the Swiss beat the French to the punch.

Are there other reasons for revoking Swiss citizenship?

Yes.

For instance, if you lie during the naturalisation process, provide false information, or conceal important facts, you run the risk that your passport will be revoked — but only if you have a second citizenship as well.

READ ALSO: Can Swiss citizenship be revoked – and can you get it back?

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For members

SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Can I get Swiss citizenship and then move abroad?

Most people apply for Swiss naturalisation with the intent of remaining in the country. But what happens if you choose to live abroad right after receiving your passport?

Published: 13 May 2024 14:55 CEST
Updated: 13 May 2024 17:34 CEST
Can I get Swiss citizenship and then move abroad?

You may have a variety of reasons why you opt to move out of Switzerland after becoming a citizen.

Your decision may have to do with your work, education, family, or simply a desire to live elsewhere.

But is there a wait period before a newly-minted citizen can leav the country?

No, there isn’t.

There is no distinction between new citizens, those who had been naturalised years ago, or people who are Swiss from birth.

In the eyes of the law, they are all Swiss on equal footing.

This means you can leave the country and then return whenever you want — unless there is some compelling reason why you are not allowed to do so — for instance, if you are under criminal investigation.

In fact, an estimated 800,000 Swiss citizens — roughly 11 percent of the entire population — live abroad.

What’s more, you are not required to offer any explanations to any officials or authorities about why you choose to emigrate so quickly after becoming a Swiss citizen.

What do you have to do to leave the country?

Besides the usual steps you have to take when you relocate — like notifying your landlord and canceling your mail delivery — there are some official administrative procedures you are required to follow as well before you go.

One is de-registering from your commune of residence. 

Once you do so, you can submit the de-registration document to your health insurance company, so you can cancel your policy.

What about tax authorities?

Once you de-register from your commune, the tax office in your canton will be informed automatically of your departure.

While you will no longer be required to pay income tax in Switzerland if you are employed abroad, you will continue to be taxed on your wealth if, for instance, you own property or other assets in Switzerland.

Primary versus secondary

All of the above applies if you leave Switzerland for good.

But some people, like dual nationals for instance, may choose to spend part of the year in their countries of origin, and the other part in Switzerland.

If this is your plan, you should decide whether Switzerland or another country will be your primary legal residence (for tax purposes you can have only one primary residence, with the other counting as your secondary one).

Primary  — or tax residence — means that you live in Switzerland 30 days per year in a row while working, or 90 consecutive days if not employed. 

If you choose another country as your main base, then you don’t have to do much of anything, from the administrative perspective.

However, in case you pick Switzerland as your main residence, you are required to maintain your Swiss health insurance, be registered in a commune where you live and, of course pay income taxes here.

What if you move away from Switzerland completely but want to come back?

Regardless of whether you leave the country immediately after becoming a citizen, and even if you have been living abroad for many years, you can always, at any time, return to Switzerland.

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