Naturalization refused
A man from Cape Verde does not receive a Swiss passport because he has not defrosted his windshield
To get a Swiss passport, you need an impeccable certificate of good conduct
© Marlon Trottmann / Getty Images
He has lived in Switzerland for eleven years and is married to a Swiss woman: a man from Cape Verde does not get a Swiss passport for the time being. The reason is a violation of the road traffic regulations.
Anyone who wants to be naturalized in Switzerland as a foreigner must be able to show a flawless background. Every small administrative offense can thwart the project. A man from Cape Verde had to find out how strict the authorities are doing. He is denied naturalization because he did not properly de-ice the windshield on his car more than two years ago.
In 2010 the man emigrated from the archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean to Switzerland, reports the newspaper “Blick”. He married a Swiss woman and behaved flawlessly for years. On a winter morning of 2019, however, he was stopped in his car by the police, he told the “Blick”. His windshield was still partially iced. He was therefore sentenced to a fine of 300 francs (around 287 euros) as well as a conditional fine of five daily rates, which would be due in the event of a new offense within a probationary period of two years.
Naturalization refused
This punishment was the man’s undoing. He had already applied for a Swiss passport in 2018. In June 2020 he received the notification from the State Secretariat for Migration: Because he had already violated the Road Traffic Act, he could not be naturalized.
The Cape Verdean does not consider the rejection justified: “I know that I should have cleaned the windows better, but now I feel treated like a criminal,” he says. A complaint to the Federal Administrative Court was also rejected. The disappointment is great: “I paid 900 francs for the naturalization application, 300 francs fine because of the iced windshield, the legal fees and the litigation costs of 1000 francs – and all for nothing.” His lawyer cannot understand the content of the decision, but considers it legally sound: it follows the “criteria of the regulation”.
Nevertheless, he still has the chance to obtain Swiss citizenship. After his windshield mishap, the two-year probationary period will soon expire. Then the Cape Verdean could try again. However, he has not yet decided whether he will really do that, the man told the “Blick”.
Source: “View”