Thousands took to the streets of Zurich recently to demand more affordable housing—and to air their frustration with an unlikely target: pension funds, reported SRF. Their complaint is not new but increasingly urgent. Switzerland’s pension funds are major players in the residential property market, owning around 44% of rental apartments nationwide—a sharp increase from just […]
The Swiss who lost their nationality
Swiss citizenship is typically for life, except in rare cases where it was obtained fraudulently or if an individual with another nationality is deemed to seriously harm the interests and reputation of Switzerland and in doing so compromise the nation’s security – this happened in 2019 for the first time. However, retaining Swiss citizenship was […]
EU migration pact opposed by Switzerland’s left and right
The Pact on Migration and Asylum, a new EU plan to manage migration agreed upon by EU countries last year and officially endorsed by Switzerland’s executive last week, faces resistance from both the left and the right, RTS reported. The pact requires more asylum applications to be processed in the countries where migrants first arrive […]
Medical association raises alarm about the number of foreign doctors in Switzerland
The number of medical professionals in Switzerland rose by 3.7% in 2024. However, the proportion of foreign doctors working in the country continues to increase, reaching 41.3% of all doctors in 2024. Relying so heavily on foreign medical professionals is risky, according to a representative of a medical association who spoke to SRF. In 2003, […]
Most Muslims in Switzerland don’t report racist incidents
A recently published report shows that only a tiny percentage of rascist incidents affecting Muslims in Switzerland are reported. Around a third (35%) of Switzerland’s 450,000 Muslims report being victims of racism. However, only around 60 people a year report such incidents to Switzerland’s official racism reporting centres. Marianne Helfer, head of the Federal Office […]
Swiss immigration slows in 2024
In 2024, the net number of foreign nationals moving Switzerland was 83,400, 15.6% lower than in 2023, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). By the end of 2024, the total number of residents in Switzerland without Swiss passports had risen to 2.36 million, roughly 26% of Switzerland’s population of nearly 9 million. Most […]
Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei barred from entering Switzerland
On Monday, the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was denied entry to Switzerland because he was unable to present a valid visa, reported RTS. Forced to spend Tuesday night at Zurich airport, the well-known dissident artist took to social media. On Instagram, he said “I’m sleeping on a bench with a blanket tonight and waiting to […]
Return of asylum seekers accelerates in Switzerland
Last year, Switzerland sent more than 7,000 asylum seekers back to their country of origin, which is around 18% more than the year before, reported RTS. The figure was revealed by Beat Jans, the Swiss minister in charge of asylum, in conversations at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week. With a rate […]
Most of Switzerland’s Ukrainian refugees still not working
Swiss authorities have been working hard to get more Ukrainian refugees off welfare and into work. They set a target of 40% by the end of 2024. However, their efforts have come up short. Only 29% of those of working age are in work, according to the latest data. This figure stands in contrast to […]
The rush for Swiss passports in Zug
The canton of Zug recently tightened its citizenship laws. Since 1 January 2025, the rules for applying to become Swiss in the canton are more strict. In the months before these changes came into force, the number of applications skyrocketed, reported RTS. The requirements for becoming Swiss have federal, cantonal and municipal elements. This means […]
