Are you the very model of a modern Alpine citizen?

If you can “respect public security and order, uphold the values of the constitution, contribute to the economy and speak a national language to a required level”, you will – in theory – qualify for a permanent residence permit in Switzerland. But what do these vague concepts mean in practice? “The new foreigners and integration law does not lay down how a ‘model Swiss citizen’ should be. It simply defines, among other things, under what circumstances a residence permit can be obtained,” Lukas Rieder, spokesman for the State Secretariat for Migration, told swissinfo.ch. But he must have some tips for law-abiding swissinfo.ch readers? “Unfortunately not.” On Monday, parliament revised the foreigners law, increasing the responsibility of foreigners to integrate into society if they want a permanent residence permit (a C permit). Given that from January 1, 2018, a C permit will be required for a Swiss passport, will being caught without a tram ticket for example see ...