Cantonal Council ZG Zug tightens naturalization rules: Five years without social welfare
In the canton, only people who have not received or repaid social welfare for at least five years will be granted a Swiss passport. On Wednesday, the cantonal council extended the three-year period stipulated by the federal government in the second reading.
03.07.2024, 10:50
SDA
In the final vote, the Council approved the amendment to the Citizenship Act by 53 votes to 20. The amendment is based on a motion by the SVP, which would have stipulated a period of ten years.
The extension of the deadline had already met with resistance from the SP and Alternative-Die Grünen (ALG) at the first reading. At the time, the cantonal council rejected their proposal to dispense with the revision of the law altogether.
The longer deadline puts Zug in the middle of the cantons. Uri, Schwyz, Nidwalden, Basel-Landschaft and Thurgau also provide for a five-year period without social assistance, while Bern, Graubünden, Aargau and Ticino even provide for a ten-year period. In the remaining cantons, the federal minimum of three years applies.
A number of motions were submitted at the second reading. Among other things, the ALG wanted to set oral and written language skills at level B1, but failed by 52 votes to 18. Accordingly, applicants must - as decided in the first reading - have written language skills at level B2 and oral language skills at level B1.
"Unnecessary tightening"
With the amendment adopted in the first reading, children under the age of 16 would no longer be able to apply for citizenship independently in the canton of Zug in future, said Andreas Lustenberger (ALG). "This is an unnecessary and unfounded adverse tightening", said Rupan Sivaganesan (SP).
With the amendment proposed by the ALG and SP parliamentary groups, all minors who wish to submit an independent application should in future have to be represented by their legal representative. However, this motion failed by 52 votes to 17.
