The Swiss passport has to be earned

In order to become naturalised in the Canton of Zug, foreign nationals have to go through a legally prescribed procedure. It’s the overall impression that is decisive, however, in the assessment by the municipality and the canton.

The case of an Italian who applied for Swiss citizenship became known at the beginning of this year: the municipality of Arth apparently refused this because his geographical and cultural knowledge and social integration were considered to be insufficient. The press reported the case in such a way that the impression was given that the decision was negative due to a single, incorrectly answered question. The man, who has been living in Switzerland for 30 years, including 26 in the Arth municipality, appealed to the Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgericht), and won his case. What’s the situation in Zug now? Would such a refusal be possible here for similar reasons?

"In principle, the provisions of the Swiss Naturalisation Act and the cantonal Civil Rights Law apply", explains Thomas Gretener, mayor of the Cham municipality (see box). “The scope available to the Civil Community (Bürgergemeinde) regarding the procedure is small. Additional documents can be requested, for example.”

The Cham Civil Community checks that the applicants’ financial circumstances are in order, and what connection the applicants have to their place of residence. "We are less concerned with meticulous knowledge that has been learned by heart, but more with the emotional connection to the community: which locations and places do the applicants remember, do they know about the festivals and customs, do they attend them, what hobbies do they follow, etc." The reasons why they want to participate in the democratic processes are also important. "We are also interested in what they know about the Cham authorities," continues Gretener. An A2 level in German is also required in writing and B1 verbally, as well as proof that you have lived in Switzerland for ten years. Between 25 and 30 applications are submitted in Cham each year, and around 85% of these are approved by the Citizens' Council (Bürgerrat). This percentage is so high at the moment because it is mainly German citizens who are currently applying for Swiss citizenship there.

"Applications are mainly only rejected if a number of requirements are not met: poor language skills, little or no knowledge of the community, poor integration, and a combination of these," emphasises Gretener. "And applicants always have the opportunity to appeal against the decision."

Those who are well integrated and prepare intensively can obtain a Swiss passport.

Things sound very similar in Unterägeri, where 16 naturalisation applications were submitted in 2018 and 2019. As Citizens Councillor (Bürgerrat) Arthur Walker explains, the following areas are examined in particular: familiarity with Swiss living circumstances, a basic knowledge of local (and partly Swiss) geographical and political relationships, participation in the social and cultural life of local community, and contacts with Swiss people. On its website, the Citizens' Community provides the applicants with an information dossier specially tailored to the municipality of Unterägeri. It lists the distinctive local buildings, local customs, traditions, the names of the members of the local authorities, the rights and obligations of a Swiss citizen. "Most of the applicants are very well integrated, have good references, are involved in village life and give no cause for complaint," Walker notes. If the Citizens' Council nevertheless believes that an applicant has not yet fully met the requirements, an amicable provision or suspension of the procedure will be arranged for one to two years. This can be resumed later for the applicant, free of charge.

This is also often the case in Cham and the City of Zug. "Around 30 percent of applications are suspended," reports Rainer Hager, president of the Zug Citizens’ Community. Ultimately, however, around 90 percent of the applicants will be naturalised. "A decision to reject or suspend will never be made simply because of an incorrectly answered question." The authorities need to see that the applicants really live here and are interested in what is happening in their environment, emphasises Hager. "With regard to the case in Arth, you’d have to know the entire dossier in order to be able to assess the situation correctly." 212 applications were processed in Zug in 2018.

Free courses help prepare applicants
The applicant’s knowledge of history and constitutional law is examined on the occasion of the civic interview at the Registry and Civil Rights department (Zivilstands- und Bürgerrechtsdienst) of the Directorate of the Interior. "As a preparation, a civic course is held on two evenings in May," explains Marianne Brunner, who works at the Directorate of the Interior. “The course is voluntary and free of charge. It is very well attended by the applicants and is popular.”

If an applicant has attended the course and studied the documentation provided by the canton on facts relating to constitutional law, as well as the history of the state and canton, he/she can take the oral test. A book list has also been published in case someone wants to study the topic in greater depth. "Those who don’t prepare themselves at all don’t usually pass," says Brunner.

The content that is taught in public schools is also checked, although an applicant who has attended the schools in Zug does not need to take the test. “The focus is on constitutional law. We ask about the tasks of the Federal, State, National and Cantonal Councils and the number of members in the individual councils,” Brunner explains. Applicants should be able to explain what an initiative or referendum is, what rights and obligations a Swiss citizen has, and so on. "This interview takes about 30 to 40 minutes." Applicants may bring along their own notes and documents and can consult them during the interview. A suspension is also possible here if the test is not passed at the first attempt.

Swiss passport in nine steps
The naturalisation process (Einbürgerungsverfahren) in the Canton of Zug is divided into nine steps. The applicant submits a complete application to the Registration and Civil Rights department, who then ask the police to draw up a report. A statement is then obtained from the local council. The next step will be the interviews with the Citizens' Council (Bürgerrat) and the Registration and Civil Rights department. The latter then requests approval of the Swiss naturalisation from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in Bern.

The decision goes back to the canton, and from there back to the Citizens' Council, which decides on the granting of municipal citizenship. The last step is the application for cantonal citizenship. The total cost is CHF 2,800 for an individual, CHF 3,350 for a couple and CHF 3,400 for a couple with a child. According to Marianne Brunner from the Directorate of the Interior, 266 applications for 408 people were submitted in the entire canton of Zug in 2018, and 258 applications for 452 people in 2019. 252 applications were completed in 2018, with 417 people receiving Swiss citizenship. There were 400 applications in 2019, and 706 people received the Swiss passport.