Feeling at home in Switzerland

The naturalisation of immigrants is a catalyst for integration. It is particularly beneficial for foreigners who are part of a marginalised immigrant group at the time of naturalisation, such as migrants from Turkey or former Yugoslavia. This is the conclusion reached by a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The researchers interviewed almost 800 people whose applications were either narrowly accepted or rejected. They asked questions such as: are you involved in politics? Do you read Swiss newspapers? Are you a member in a club or association? Do you feel discriminated against? Do you plan to spend your retirement in Switzerland? “The earlier a person receives citizenship, the greater the positive effect”, says Dominik Hangartner, political scientist at the University of Zurich and the London School of Economics. “This should be a wake-up call for Switzerland”, he adds, “where migrants have to wait twelve years for naturalisation, a long time compared to other European countries.”