The painful story of the Kosovar in Switzerland, and the denial that is being made twice in a row

This family had been supposed to leave Switzerland since 2005. But instead of doing so, they were offered ecclesiastical asylum.

"This Saturday afternoon moment sounds like a painful and humiliating "déjà-vu" for Hamdi Halili, the now most well-known Kosovar in the region, who wants to become a Swiss citizen," writes bz.ch.

The President of the Citizens' Assembly approaches Hamdi Halili, who was waiting outside the hall, saying: "Hamdi. Your request was rejected with 23 votes against, 21 in favor and 22 abstentions."

The citizens' assembly of the municipality of Bubendorf, canton Baselland, has voted for the second time against the naturalization of Hamdi Halili, albinfo.ch reports. And it is also the second time that it has not provided sufficient justification for its decision.

"There is no justification for non-naturalization," said Roger Frey, president of the Citizens' Assembly, the institution that in some municipalities approves or denies the issuance of Swiss passports at the municipal level. 23 people voted against, 21 in favor and 22 abstained in the vote held on Saturday.

However, Frey assumes that the rejection came as a result of Haili's family history.

This family was supposed to leave Switzerland in 2005. But instead of doing so, they were offered ecclesiastical asylum, albinfo.ch reports.

A year later, the authorities finally allowed the family to stay in Switzerland (with a B and then C visa).

Therefore, staying "illegally" in Switzerland for a certain period of time may be one of the reasons why the "locals" do not approve of the family's naturalization.

Let us recall: The case of the Halili family was also present three years ago in the Swiss media and on albinfo.ch, when they were refused naturalization by this same municipality. Among the pretexts for refusal that were discussed at the time was a banal “reason”: the atypical dressing of Hamdiu and his sons in sportswear (“tracksuits” or tracksuits)…

With or without the suits, the sons and the wife have already received their Swiss passports. The only one who was left without naturalization was Hamdiu, writes albinfo.ch. The one who was rejected again…

It is now expected that the "ball" will be transferred to the hands of the Canton of Baselland.