- In the future it will be even more difficult to obtain a Swiss passport in Aargau.
- The Grand Council decided against the will of the SP and the Greens to tighten the naturalization law several times.
- Among other things, there is now a residency requirement of five years and a minimum age of 16 years for applications.
In the canton Aargau will find it more difficult to become naturalized: The Grand Council has passed stricter naturalization laws. The bourgeois council side pushed through a series of tightening measures against the will of the SP and the Greens, such as the “Aargauer Zeitung» reported. 20 minutes introduces the changes:
Five year residency requirement
Previously, you could apply for naturalization after three years in the same municipality. There is now a residency requirement of five years. Anyone who moves away in between will not be penalized: the residency requirement does not have to be continuous.
Minimum age 16
In Aargau, minors are now only allowed to apply for naturalization from the age of 16. The Grand Council rejected the Government Council’s proposal to allow naturalization from the age of 11.
Dialect test
Anyone who wants to become Swiss in the canton of Aargau must now understand the basics of Swiss German. The Council adopted a corresponding proposal from the Justice Commission. Exactly how this will be checked is still unclear.
No debt enforcement
In the future, anyone who has been operating in the last three years will not receive a Swiss passport.
Municipalities should now be allowed to ask questions about the naturalization test
In the future, Aargau municipalities will be given permission to ask questions about the cantonal citizenship test when interviewing those seeking naturalization. The background: In January, the administrative court upheld a Kosovar’s complaint. Although he had passed the cantonal test, the naturalization commission still asked him questions about Aargau and Switzerland and rejected his application based on his answers.
Referendum possible
The Aargau Government Council must now revise the template and submit it to the Grand Council again. The new law could come into force as early as July 1, 2027. The Greens have already announced that they want to support a referendum on the authorities if the tightening measures are incorporated into the law. Then the people would have the final say.
Daniel Krähenbühl (dk) has been working for 20 minutes since 2017. He leads the regional network with a focus on urban politics, crime, society and research.
