Geneva authorities recommend obtaining citizenship as soon as possible
As reported by the publication NashaGazeta.ch, foreigners account for more than 40% of Geneva's total population, according to the latest data from the cantonal statistical office. This means that local companies risk losing some employees in the near future when the immigration restriction that the Swiss voted on two years ago comes into force. Less than a year remains until the implementation of the corresponding initiative of the Swiss People's Party (SVP).
“The Geneva government asked to find a solution that is compatible with the bilateral agreements,” said Pierre Maudet at a recent press conference. “But for now Switzerland is only going further into a dead end. Our companies are already burdened by fiscal uncertainty and the strong franc. I would not want to add uncertainty in the sphere of foreign labor to this.”
The canton's minister of economy and security also suggested a possible solution: “If a certain number of foreigners become Swiss this year, it will be a good buffer in case quotas are introduced.” For those who heed this advice, the cantonal authorities have issued a special brochure “Devenir Suisse-sse, Naturalisation mode d’emploi.” It describes in detail the procedure for obtaining Swiss citizenship, as well as the main requirements and fees for submitting an application. In addition, all relevant information can be found on the official website of the canton in the section dedicated to naturalization issues.
Some foreigners have reason to hurry for another reason, Geneva authorities warn. The fact is that in 2017, in addition to the introduction of quotas for issuing work permits to Europeans, the conditions for acquiring Swiss citizenship are expected to become stricter. Recall that the Confederation recently adopted a law according to which the minimum period of residence in the country to start the naturalization process has been reduced to 10 years, but a Swiss passport will only be available to holders of residence permits of category “C”. Thus, 2016 will be the last year when employees of international organizations (of which there are many in Geneva) and holders of category “B” permits can count on Swiss citizenship.
The canton does not object to the appearance of “new Swiss”. According to Pierre Maudet, “it is thanks to naturalizations, not birth rates, that we manage to maintain a stable ratio of Swiss to foreigners.” Due to changes in federal legislation, Geneva authorities expect an increase in the number of applications from candidates with residence permits of category “B” this year.
A similar situation is observed in other regions. For example, in the city of Uster (canton of Zurich), in the first weeks of 2016, the number of naturalization requests increased fivefold compared to normal levels. Among the candidates for citizenship, people from the Balkan countries lead, followed by first- and second-generation Italians and Germans who moved to the canton in the early 2000s. In Zurich as well, the number of naturalization applications increased by 40% since the beginning of the year.
Presumably, the reason for such a sharp increase in interest in the Swiss passport in recent weeks lies in the initiative to deport foreign criminals, which the citizens of the Confederation voted on last weekend. By the way, a similar trend (albeit on a smaller scale) was observed throughout Switzerland in 2015.
In Geneva, according to the latest statistical data, just over 200,000 foreigners live. Approximately half of them have a residence permit of category “C”, with 65% coming from European countries with which Switzerland has an Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons – at least until February 2017. The majority of foreigners living in Geneva are of working age, so in this case we are talking primarily about labor migration.
“Without these 'active' arrivals, we would have an economic problem – the shop would not be working,” explained Pierre Maudet. Thus, the canton is ready to 'Swissify' some of its foreign residents in the very near future.