The federal government presented a bill to parliament this week outlining changes to the law on naturalisation, the process by which foreigners who meet certain conditions can become Swiss citizens.

The text lists conditions for citizenship, provides incentives for immigrants who integrate quickly, eliminates bureaucratic duplication and simplifies procedures.

Under the proposal, only foreigners who hold permanent residency permits and are deemed to have successfully integrated would be eligible for Swiss citizenship.

For apparently well-integrated foreigners, the draft law slashes the length of time they would have to wait for permanent residency and to initiate naturalisation process.