May 13, 2025|
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|7 months agoSwiss Citizenship Denial Over 'Lack of Friends' Sparks Debate
Dutch couple's naturalization rejection after 20 years in Switzerland due to insufficient social integration raises questions about citizenship criteria.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- Ronny van Unen (72) and Saskia Scheltes (64) were denied Swiss citizenship after living in the country for 20 years.
- The naturalisation committee cited a 'lack of friends' and insufficient social integration as reasons for the refusal.
- A Turkish woman in Buchs (Aargau) was previously denied citizenship partly for shopping at Aldi and Migros instead of local merchants.
- A man from Cape Verde was denied citizenship due to an icy windshield incident.
By The Numbers
20 years
Duration of Residence
2
Rejections
They Said
"We had the impression that they don’t really identify with Switzerland."
"Swiss have an innate sense of privacy."