Speaking to the newspaper Tages-Anzeiger recently, Corine Mauch, Zurich’s mayor said she plans to launch an initiative to give foreign residents the chance to vote at a municipal level. Mauch, whose mother Ursula Mauch was the first female federal parliamentarian from the canton of Aargau, said that while foreign residents live, work and pay taxes […]
Switzerland signs post-Brexit security deal with Britain
Last week, Switzerland agreed with Britain to maintain the flow of information on organised crime and terrorism even if the UK leaves the EU with a no-deal. Karin Keller-Sutter and British Home Secretary Sajid Javid signed the contracts in London, according to a government press release. Should Britain leave the EU without a deal, “all […]
UBS warns of a looming shortage of workers in Switzerland
The Swiss bank UBS estimates there could be a shortfall of 500,000 workers in Switzerland in the coming 10 years as the baby boomer generation retires. However, the bank predicts the shortfall will not be even across all industries. Some sectors are expected to stagnate. Workers in these industries might find it harder to find […]
Switzerland number one for expat pay and stability
In 2019, Switzerland came top overall in a ranking of destinations for expatriates to live and work, moving up from eighth last year. Singapore, which had held the top spot for four years in the HSBC’s list of the best countries for expatriates, dropped to second place. Switzerland scored highly on salaries (1st), stability (1st), […]
Parliament votes against stripping serious criminals of Swiss nationality
Last week, a majority of the National Council, Switzerland’s parliament, voted against stripping serious criminals of Swiss nationality, according to Le Matin. A motion to take Swiss citizenship away from those who have committed serious crimes and who have more than one nationality, was put forward by Lorenzo Quadri, a member of the Lega party […]
Lake Geneva region Switzerland’s jihadist hotspot
A recent study by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) shows the geographic distribution of known radicalized jihadists across Switzerland. According to figures in the report the Lake Geneva region is a hotspot with significantly higher radicalisation rates than the rest of the country. The region’s overall rate of 2.7 radicalized inhabitants per 100,000 residents […]
Swiss government pushes to get refugees and asylum seekers working
Every year around 11,000 people apply for asylum in Switzerland. The first challenge many face is learning the local language. The next is finding a job or getting an education. Poor language proficiency and cantonal labour market restrictions are the main reasons why refugees don’t work, according to various studies. The employment rate among refugees […]
The one in ten Swiss who live abroad
With all of the hot politics surrounding immigration it is easy to lose sight of those moving abroad. Among Swiss citizens, one in ten lives abroad. In 2018, 10.7% of the Swiss population was living in another country. Of the 760,200 Swiss living outside Switzerland, more than 62% were living in Europe. France (197,400) had […]
Switzerland set to strip Swiss jihadists of nationality
So far Switzerland’s government has not stripped any jihadists of Swiss nationality. However, various reports suggest the government is set to do so. One case is currently being looked at, with others set to follow, according to Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter who was questioned by parliament. The process starts by ensuring those involved have another […]
How Swiss view foreigners
A survey published by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office in February 2019 shows how Swiss regard the role and attitude of foreigners towards Swiss institutions. Foreigners are considered by most (64%) as necessary for the proper functioning of the economy and needed to finance social security. It is also felt they do work others won’t do […]
