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Swiss vote to ease citizenship process for third-generation immigrants Switzerland votes to ease citizenship process
(about 3 hours later)
Swiss voters have approved measures to make it easier for third-generation immigrants to become citizens, dismissing claims that the move could pose a security threat. Switzerland has voted to make it easier for third-generation immigrants to become citizens, rejecting rightwing politicians’ complaints that the proposed measures would pose a security risk.
Projections by public broadcaster SRF after polls closed at midday on Sunday showed the measure easily winning by a 59%-41% margin. Most people had already voted by post. Until now, a fast-track route to citizenship was only open to foreigners who had been married to Swiss citizens for more than six years, including those who have never lived in the country.
Rightwing activists had used posters showing a woman in a niqab with the slogan “no unchecked naturalisation” to campaign against the proposal, which was backed by the government and parliament. The outcome of the referendum on Sunday will open up this easier route to the children of secondos (second-generation immigrants), who number about 24,000 in the country of 8 million inhabitants. Nearly 60% of this group are Italian, followed by people from the Balkans and Turkey.
About one-quarter of Switzerland’s population is foreign, a relatively high rate in comparison with other countries that make it easier for the children and grandchildren of immigrants to become citizens. The constitutional amendment does not make naturalisation an automatic process, and applicants will still be required to prove they are aged 25 or under, were born in Switzerland and visited a school there for at least five years, share Swiss cultural values, speak a national language and do not depend on state aid.
The government had lobbied for the measure, which would help many young people born and raised in Switzerland after their grandparents moved to the country. Under the current system, they face a lengthy and often expensive process to secure a Swiss passport. After polls closed at midday, public broadcaster SRF announced that 60.4% had voted in favour of the amendment and 39.6% had voted against.
The constitutional amendment simplifies, but does not make automatic, naturalisation for well-integrated people aged 25 or under who were born in Switzerland, went to school there for at least five years, share Swiss cultural values, speak a national language and do not depend on state aid. In 2004, the Swiss public emphatically rejected a similar initiative, with only 29% voting in favour.
Sunday’s vote on facilitated naturalisation was one of four reserved annually for plebiscites on subjects that affect federal as well as local laws and institutions. Activists with links to the populist Swiss People’s party (SVP) had used posters showing a woman in a niqab with the slogan “no unchecked naturalisation” to campaign against the proposal, which was backed by the government and parliament.
The outcome of the referendum had been made uncertain by the rightwing, nationalist Swiss People’s party (SVP), which put Islam and national identity at the centre of the debate. Switzerland has a history of immigration from Germany, Italy and the Balkans, and lists more official languages than any other country in Europe.
According to a migration department study, fewer than 25,000 people in the country of about 8 million qualify as third-generation immigrants, meaning they have at least one grandparent who was born in Switzerland or acquired residency. But strict naturalisation rules mean one-quarter of the population is listed as foreign, a relatively high rate in comparison with other countries that make it easier for the children and grandchildren of immigrants to become citizens.
Nearly 60% of these are Italian, followed by people from the Balkans or Turkey. The vote on facilitated naturalisation was one of four reserved annually for plebiscites on subjects that affect federal as well as local laws and institutions.
Initial debate on the proposal had nothing to do with religion, said Sophie Guignard of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Bern. But then the SVP, a party repeatedly accused of demonising Islam, focused on the risks of more Muslims becoming citizens and the possible “loss of Swiss values”, Guignard said. Initial debate on the proposal had nothing to do with religion, according to Sophie Guignard of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Bern. But then the SVP, a party repeatedly accused of demonising Islam, focused on the risks of more Muslims becoming citizens and the possible “loss of Swiss values”, she said.
Central to that effort was a widely distributed poster showing a woman in a black niqab with a tagline urging voters to reject “uncontrolled citizenship”. The SVP was not officially responsible for the poster, which was commissioned by the Committee Against Facilitated Citizenship, but the group has several SVP members in leadership positions.Central to that effort was a widely distributed poster showing a woman in a black niqab with a tagline urging voters to reject “uncontrolled citizenship”. The SVP was not officially responsible for the poster, which was commissioned by the Committee Against Facilitated Citizenship, but the group has several SVP members in leadership positions.
Jean-Luc Addor, the co-chair of the committee and SVP lawmaker, had urged people to reject the proposal on the grounds that soon, most third-generation immigrants would not be of European origin. Jean-Luc Addor, the co-chair of the committee and an SVP lawmaker, had urged people to reject the proposal on the grounds that soon, most third-generation immigrants would not be of European origin.
“In one or two generations, who will these third-generation foreigners be?” he wrote in an opinion piece on the SVP website. “They will be born of the Arab spring, they will be from sub-Saharan Africa, the Horn of Africa, Syria or Afghanistan.”“In one or two generations, who will these third-generation foreigners be?” he wrote in an opinion piece on the SVP website. “They will be born of the Arab spring, they will be from sub-Saharan Africa, the Horn of Africa, Syria or Afghanistan.”
Guignard said mainstream politicians and journalists viewed the poster as “a violent attack against Muslims”.Guignard said mainstream politicians and journalists viewed the poster as “a violent attack against Muslims”.
In 2009, the SVP successfully persuaded Swiss voters to approve a ban on new mosque minaret construction, while religiously charged messages have been a part of subsequent immigration referendums.