For immigrants to Switzerland, the process of becoming a citizen was rather onerous. Foreigners had to live in the country 12 years before applying; they then had to go through a series of tests and interviews. Even more confusing, the requirements differed from canton to canton.
The Swiss have nothing like our 14th Amendment, which states that if you are born here, you are one of us. (I’ll point out that President Andrew Johnson opposed the 14th, noting that even Chinese would be citizens.)
Last week the Swiss opened the door just a bit. If you are under 25 and your parents and grandparents have permanent residency status, the process has been simplified and streamlined.
A right-wing party campaigned against the measure, using posters of a woman in a burqa with the slogan “No to uncontrolled naturalization.” The Trump tactics did not work; the measure passed with over 60 percent of the vote.
Information on the Swiss vote is from Nick Cumming-Bruce, “Switzerland Eases Path To Become A Citizen,” New York Times, (13 Feb. 2017), p. A4.
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