At the end of 2023, more than 8.9 million people lived in Switzerland, rising by 147,000 (1.7%) across the year, reported the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The population rose in all cantons, driven by high levels of immigration, particularly from Ukraine. The last time Switzerland’s population rose so fast was in 1960, wrote FSO. The […]
Switzerland to spend 300 million defending Schengen borders
From 1 August 2024, Switzerland will begin contributing to a fund supporting the protection of the borders of the Schengen zone, a group of European nations with combined land borders of 8,000 km and sea borders of 43,000 km, reported RTS. A total of CHF 300 million has been budgeted to cover the period between […]
European immigration into Switzerland rises by 29%
Data published by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) show a sharp rise in the number of people moving to Switzerland from EU/EFTA nations. In 2023, 68,000 people arrived in Switzerland from EU/EFTA countries to live, the highest number since 2008 when 72,100 arrived. The 2023 figure is 29% higher than the number of […]
Switzerland’s birth rate continues to fall
The number of babies born in Switzerland fell to 80,024 in 2023, a birth rate of 1.33 per woman, reported RTS. As recently as 2021, 89,644 babies entered the world in Switzerland. Between 2021 and 2023, the number has fallen nearly 11%. In 2023, the fertility rate in Switzerland reached an historic low after trending […]
Swiss parliament votes to send failed Eritrean refugees to another African nation
For many years, Eritrea has refused to take back citizens failing to qualify as refugees. This week, Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of sending them to another African nation, reported SRF. This week, Petra Gössi (PLR/FDP) put forward a motion that calls on the Federal Council to conclude a transit agreement with a suitable third […]
New Swiss naturalisation process discriminatory, says study
Around a quarter of Switzerland’s population is not Swiss, a reflexion of how international the nation is and how difficult it is to become a citizen. In 2018, parliament changed the rules on who could naturalise. A study published this week shows how the new rules have changed the profile of those qualifying and eventually […]
Gambian ex-minister given 20 years in prison by Swiss court
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court sentenced a former Gambian interior minister to 20 years in prison for multiple crimes against humanity, reported RTS. The ruling is historic. It is the first time a European court has convicted and sentenced someone for crimes committed against humanity outside Europe. Ousman Sonko came to Switzerland as an […]
Vote to limit Switzerland’s population to 10 million clears signature hurdle
An initiative organised by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) to limit Switzerland’s population to 10 million officially cleared the signature hurdle this week, reported SRF. To launch a popular vote or referendum in Switzerland requires 100,000 signatures. This week, 114,805 of the 114,430 signatures collected for the initiative were deemed valid by the administration, clearing […]
Ukrainian refugee job push aims for big cut to Swiss welfare spending
Over the roughly two years since the first Ukrainian refugees began arriving in Switzerland, more than 90,000 have successfully applied for the temporary right to live in Switzerland. However, only 24% have found work. With finances tight, the federal government is aiming to save around CHF 700 million in refugee welfare payments by getting the […]
Migration between Swiss cantons – gainers and losers
The population is growing exceptionally fast in Switzerland. The nation draws many migrants from the EU and takes in proportionally high numbers of refugees. Over the last 20 years, the nation’s population has risen by 20%, far more than in France (10%), Austria (12%), Italy (3%) and Germany (2%) over the same period. In addition […]
