Dual Citizenship
Well, that set the cat among the pigeons on the side-lines of the World Cup in Russia in 2018. When Germany’s star player, Mesut paraded in front of the press with the President of Turkey, shortly before the Turkish elections, it wasn’t per se the photo that upset the apple cart. It could have been the fact, that said player has dual citizenship – German and Turkish and he referred to President Erdogan as «my president» and bequeathed him his tricot.
This triggered much ado in the German press, where his loyalties to Germany and his German team were seriously questioned, and touched a sensitive nerve. When Germany entered the World Cup as defending heroes, but lost dramatically to South Korea in the first round, speculation as to the performance of Mesut was rife. As he sank from hero to zero, the accusation that his heart simply wasn’t focused on winning for Germany led to massive debates throughout the land, concerning dual citizenship. It was even suggested that players with dual nationality should not be included in the national team, as they might be resistant to German allegiance. In his case, his grandfather came to Germany as a migrant worker in the 1970s, making our star footballer a third-generation migrant. But his heart still beats for Turkey and his deep-rooted Turkish nationality is blatantly obvious.
I was born and bred in England and had a brilliant education in a grammar school. When I left at age 21, I took my British passport with me, as a necessary legal proof of identity. When I married my Swiss husband six years later, I was then entitled to have a Swiss passport and I became a Swiss citizen in addition to being British. Before we had open borders and Schengen, it was convenient to use the Swiss document to go in and out of the Schengen area and to use the British passport when flying into the UK.
In the meantime, I am a fully integrated citizen in Switzerland. I have mastered Swiss-German and studied and become a translator for the justice services, translating for a wide variety of nationalities, among others, for Brits who married, divorced or who had disgraced themselves in some way. I also trained and became an English teacher for adults, to convey my mother tongue to the locals. In this way, I feel I have usefully served Switzerland and kept my own home fires burning. On the practical and legal side, there are no problems and no conflict of interests. I like to think that in no small way, I have been an anonymous ambassador for the best that Britain has to offer, and I defend our dry humour, cup of tea, Shakespeare and Winston Churchill passionately.
On the emotional side, it is a different story. When Roger Federer wins Wimbledon I am as jubilant as my neighbours. However, in my heart of hearts, I am and always will be British – nay, more than that, I am English. I am proud of my British compatriots who voted for Brexit in 2016 and are anxious to rid themselves of the dictatorship of the EU. Yes, my heart beats for Britain, for its idiosyncrasies, its black humour and its enormous generosity and hospitality. I defend it fiercely in the face of criticism and keep myself informed as to the political and economic developments. I even love the rain!
At present, there are political debates afoot, as to whether dual citizens should relinquish one of their nationalities and pin their colours to just one flag. What if I had to choose between being Swiss or British? I live in Switzerland, so it is more than legitimate to maintain this nationality, but I would feel like a traitor if I gave up my British nationality. It’s so much more than just a passport. It’s a whole mentality, it’ a privilege, it’s my birth right. Switzerland has my respect in certain facets; but my heart belongs to England.
Photo: Pixabay