- Ordinary naturalization has become more selective since the introduction of the new Civil Rights Act in 2018.
- Between 2018 and 2020, more people with a university degree were naturalized in Switzerland.
- This is shown by a study commissioned by the Federal Commission for Migration (EKM).
Highly qualified people have been naturalized significantly more often since the introduction of the new civil rights law. However, the number of naturalized people with low qualifications has declined, as the study by the universities of Geneva, Neuchâtel and Basel shows.
During the study period, around a third of those naturalized under the old naturalization law had a university degree. Under the new law, the figure is almost two thirds, according to the Federal Migration Commission (EKM), which commissioned the study. The proportion of people who do not have any further education fell from 23.8 to 8.5 percent.
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Between 2018 and 2020, more people with a university degree were naturalized in Switzerland. This is shown by a study commissioned by the Federal Migration Commission (EKM).
CHRISTIAN BEUTLER
According to the study, the numbers are a result of the significantly more restrictive legal requirements and a consequence of the cantons’ scope for action. In 2018, the Civil Rights Act introduced new, more restrictive criteria for naturalization.
Only people who have lived in Switzerland for at least ten years and have a permanent residence permit will now be admitted to the procedure. They must also be economically independent and have better language skills. Overcoming these hurdles is difficult for poorly situated and poorly qualified people, the study says.
