Switzerland votes "yes" to ease citizenship rules

Swiss voters on Sunday approved a measure to make it easier for third-generation immigrants to become citizens, dismissing suggestions from the far-right that the move could pose a security threat.

In a referendum on Sunday, they backed a proposal to simplify naturalisation for third-generation immigrants. According to final official results, the "Yes" camp claimed 60% support and a victory in 19 of Switzerland's 26 cantons, meeting the two criteria needed for a win.

That means those born in Switzerland whose grandparents moved there – many of them from Italy – will have an easier route to gaining nationality.
Under it, the grandchildren of immigrants will be able to skip several steps in the lengthy process of securing a Swiss passport, although approval of their citizenship will still not be automatic.

Obtaining Swiss citizenship is a long, arduous process. A person must reside in the country for 12 years, must be fluent in one of the country’s four languages and has to submit to a costly, close examination by the cantonal and local authorities.

Under the new rules, applicants between the ages of nine and 25, who have at least five years of schooling and a valid residence permit, can submit a formal request for citizenship to the federal government. Around a quarter of Switzerland’s population is foreign.

The change was backed by the government and parliament. But far-right parties argued that it would pose a security risk and raised the spectre of so-called “Islamisation” with provocative posters showing a burqa-clad woman.

In a separate referendum on Sunday, Swiss voters rejected plans to overhaul the corporate tax system.