The citizens that Switzerland would like to disown

Should a young dual citizen be stripped of his Swiss passport after going to fight for the Islamic State in Syria? Authorities are considering the possibility, but the effectiveness of such measures is up for debate. Politicians across Europe have called for similar legislation, most recently in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Switzerland is no exception, with parliament having discussed the issue at length. Ultimately, the House of Representatives approved a parliamentary initiative from the conservative right Swiss People’s Party to automatically withdraw citizenship from dual national jihadis, but the Senate threw the proposal out in June. A ‘radical’ measure Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the government is considering measures similar to those proposed in Germany. How many Swiss have been stripped of citizenship? Withdrawal of citizenship is historically associated with dictatorships and the emergency powers introduced in wartime. Between 1940 and 1952, 86 ...