Switzerland’s parliament this week rejected a proposal for a simplified naturalisation procedure that argued the Swiss naturalisation period is too long compared to other states.
The Council of States vote, which was 34 against and 9 in favour, means that Switzerland’s upper house will not back standardising or simplifying the Swiss naturalisation process.
This comes after Parliament’s lower house, the National Council, rejected the idea in April by a two-thirds majority.
The initiative proposed a right to Swiss citizenship after just five years of legal residence in Switzerland, reducing it from the current ten-year threshold.
But according to Marianne Binder-Keller, commission spokesperson for the committee the initiative went too far.
“Significantly shortening the minimum residence period and doing away with cantonal and municipal minimum residence periods would mean that even people whose residence in Switzerland is not yet firmly established could become naturalised,” she said.
Furthermore a majority of the council believed the responsibilities of the federal government, cantons, and municipalities in the area of naturalisation are clearly defined and have proven effective so any shift in competence between the levels of government should be rejected, according to the parliament website.
It will ultimately be up to the voters to decide, when the proposal is brought to the ballot box at a yet undetermined date. It will not face a counter-proposal from the government.
READ MORE: What’s the new plan to cut residency periods for Swiss citizenship?
For the group that instigated this move, mainly leftist parties, the required residency period for foreigners to be able to apply for naturalisation is too long in Switzerland compared to other states.
READ ALSO: Which European countries have the toughest rules for gaining citizenship?
“There are few countries in Europe that place so many obstacles to naturalisation,” the move’s supporters said. “Swiss law needs to be revised because current rules are too strict, especially for people from third countries,” it added.
As the group points out in its website, “the fundamental right to [Swiss]nationality depends on origin – just like class privileges in the Middle Ages. It is high time to put an end to this birth lottery and to grant citizenship and thus equal political rights to all persons residing in Switzerland.”
Don’t miss our journalists’ daily news roundup from Switzerland
The required residency period for Swiss citizenship depends on where you come from.
Citizens of the European Union and EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) have shorter residency periods to qualify for citizenship than other foreigners.
After five years with a B permit, they usually qualify for the permanent residency — that is, the C permit.
Then, another five years of continuous residency is required before they can apply for naturalisation.
For most third- country nationals, however, the rules are stricter. Their residency period to ‘upgrade’ a B permit to a C is twice as long — 10 continuous years.
