Initiative wants to lower naturalization thresholds

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On Tuesday, the Federal Chancellery published the preliminary investigation of the federal citizens’ initiative “For modern civil rights (democracy initiative)” in the Staatsblad. The initiative committee now has until November 23, 2024 to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to bring it about.

In particular, the initiative calls for naturalization to be possible after five years of legal residence in Switzerland, regardless of residence permit. Now only people who have a C residence permit and have lived in Switzerland for at least ten years can be naturalized.

Aktion Vierviertel’s social project is supported by several well-known politicians – including National Councilor Sibel Arslan (Greens/BS), Councilor Lisa Mazzone (Greens/GE), former Councilor Paul Rechsteiner (SP/SG) and the co-chair of the political movement Operation Libero, Sanija Ameti.

About a quarter of people in Switzerland currently hold a foreign passport. Switzerland has the second strictest naturalization rules in Europe after Cyprus, according to a study.

Civil Rights Act reforms have been a recurring topic in recent years. In 2017, the Swiss decided at the polls that well-integrated third-generation foreigners should be able to naturalize more easily. These changes took effect in 2018. Subsequently, however, it turned out that the number of naturalizations of these people increased less than expected.

In the recent past, parliament has rejected relaxation of naturalization requirements – including two parliamentary initiatives that would have given foreigners more participation rights after five years in Switzerland.

(SDA)

Source:Blick