Immigration Ethnic Groups in Switzerland

[julia90]

There has been significant immigration to Switzerland since the 1980s. By contrast, during the 19th century, emigration from Switzerland was more common, as Switzerland was economically a poor country where a large fraction of population survived on subsistence farming.
As of 2008, 30.6% of Swiss resident population had an "immigrant background", defined as either immigrants or children born to immigrant parents.
The largest immigrant groups in Switzerland are those from Italy, Germany, Former Yugoslavia (South Slavs and Albanians), Portuguese and Turkey (Turks and Kurds). Between them, these five groups account for about 1.5 million people, 60% of the Swiss population with immigrant background, or close to 20% of total Swiss population.

 

[julia90]

The largest immigrant ethnic groups in Switzerland are:

1%-7% of total population

Italians, estimated at roughly 500,000
Germans and Austrians, estimated at roughly 300,000
Former Yugoslavia: this includes South Slavs and Kosovo Albanians. Roughly 250,000 Albanians and 250,000 South Slavs (Serbs, Croats, Macedonians)
Portuguese: 200,000
immigrants from Turkey (several ethnic groups, mostly Turks and Kurds): ca. 120,000

 

[julia90]

Industrialization and banking made Switzerland prosperous by the late 19th century and began to attract significant numbers of migrant workers. Free movement of population was established with neighbouring countries in the late 19th century, and as a consequence, there was an increase from 211,000 resident foreigners in 1880 (7.5% of total population) to 552,000 in 1910 (14.7% of total population). There was net emigration of foreign residents during the World Wars era. The fraction of foreign residents fell to 10.4% by 1920, and to 5.1% by 1941. Immigration has picked up again after 1945.
Beginning in the mid 1950s, immigration increased steeply, and the historical record of close to 15% foreigners prior to World War I was surpassed at some time during the 1960s. During the later 1960s, the trend was reversed, resulting in a net emigration of foreign citizens by the 1970s, a trend reinforced by the economic recession of 1973-1974. Counting only the foreign nationals with permanent residence (discounting seasonal workers and exchange students, etc.), there was a net emigration of 66,858 in 1975. Since 1979, each year has resulted in a net immigration, even though the figure saw considerable fluctuations, rising from 3,400 in 1983 to 59,700 in 1991, and again falling to 1,700 in 1997. Since 1999, this figure has risen steeply. A main reason for this was the immigration of Albanians due to the Kosovo War and subsequent family reunions, as well as the freedom of movement for workers treaty with the European Union, active from 2002, resulting especially in immigration from Germany. There was a net immigration of 20,900 in 1999, rising to 43,300 in 2001, and staying consistently between 44,000 and 59,000 during 2002–2006. Another steep rise took place in 2007–2008. There was a net immigration of foreigners taking permanent residence in Switzerland of 83,200 in 2007, and of 103,400 in 2008. Net immigration has again fallen moderately in 2009, to 79,000.
The steep rise of immigrant population during the 2000s has had a noticeable effect on Swiss society. While there had been right-wing populist opposition to immigration or Überfremdung during the 1970s, suggestions for tougher immigration laws, such as the initiative due to James Schwarzenbach, were mostly turned down by the voting population. This has changed during the 2000s. The anti-immigration Swiss People's Party rose to be the largest faction in the Federal Assembly in the 2003 elections. In 2009, the voting population enacted a minaret ban as a sign of opposition to the swift growth of Islam in Switzerland, and in 2010, a popular initiative for tougher deportation laws targeting immigrant criminality.

 

[Templar]

Switzerland is so awesomely democratic.

 

[Selwyn Greenfrith]

The largest immigrant ethnic groups in Switzerland are:

1%-7% of total population

Italians, estimated at roughly 500,000
Germans and Austrians, estimated at roughly 300,000
Former Yugoslavia: this includes South Slavs and Kosovo Albanians. Roughly 250,000 Albanians and 250,000 South Slavs (Serbs, Croats, Macedonians)
Portuguese: 200,000
immigrants from Turkey (several ethnic groups, mostly Turks and Kurds): ca. 120,000

Hullo there julia, Switzerland used to be at least an erstwhile destination for employment-seeking French immigrants, so how comes they didn't make the immigrant list, and what's the thinking behind the kettling of Germans and Austrians together. Might has well lump immigrants into Balkan, Romance, Germanic and Turks.

 

[albanopolis]

The largest immigrant ethnic groups in Switzerland are:

1%-7% of total population

Italians, estimated at roughly 500,000
Germans and Austrians, estimated at roughly 300,000
Former Yugoslavia: this includes South Slavs and Kosovo Albanians. Roughly 250,000 Albanians and 250,000 South Slavs (Serbs, Croats, Macedonians)
Portuguese: 200,000
immigrants from Turkey (several ethnic groups, mostly Turks and Kurds): ca. 120,000

I am surprised about Italians. I thought Italians are natives in Switzerland. I did not know that there are so many Portugese either. I have heard that ethnic groups stay appart there. I have seen a you tube video that a Croatian national was stating that all his friends are Croatian. I have heard complains about Albanians too, because many of them go on wellfare. It will take time to integrate all of them, no?

 

[Boss]

I am surprised about Italians. I thought Italians are natives in Switzerland. I did not know that there are so many Portugese either. I have heard that ethnic groups stay appart there. I have seen a you tube video that a Croatian national was stating that all his friends are Croatian. I have heard complains about Albanians too, because many of them go on wellfare. It will take time to integrate all of them, no?

Italian nationals are still immigrants. If I go to Cyprus, I'm an immigrant 'cos I do not have Cypriot nationality. Immigration has to do with nationality not ethnicity.

 

[Nobody1]

Italian nationals are still immigrants. If I go to Cyprus, I'm an immigrant 'cos I do not have Cypriot nationality. Immigration has to do with nationality not ethnicity.

Exactly the North Italians (Lombards) are most hated in "Italian" (Lombard) Switzerland - Kanton Tessin

Grenzgänger (border jumpers) from Lombardy and Piedmont depicted as rats, eating the Ticinese cheese
http://www.davoserzeitung.ch/politik/werbekampagne-mit-ratten-sorgt-im-tessin-für-diskussionsstoff

 

[RobertColumbia]

Italian nationals are still immigrants. If I go to Cyprus, I'm an immigrant 'cos I do not have Cypriot nationality. Immigration has to do with nationality not ethnicity.

Yes, let's make sure we distinguish nationality and ethnicity. We should also add language there too. Would it make sense to talk about "ethnic Panamanians" living in El Salvador? What is the difference, then, between Swiss citizens of Italian background and ethnic Italians who hold citizenship in Italy? Lots of ethnicities are now scattered among many countries. Does an ethnically Norse person necessarily have to have a passport from a specific "Official Norse Country" (TM) to be considered a True Norse Person (TM)? If an ethnic Slav from Serbia is naturalized as a citizen of Ireland, do they automatically gain Celtic ethnicity, or do they become an ethnically Slavic citizen of Ireland? Would they have to obtain a specific minimum score on an Irish language test to officially become Celtic?

 

[julia90]

I am surprised about Italians. I thought Italians are natives in Switzerland. I did not know that there are so many Portugese either. I have heard that ethnic groups stay appart there. I have seen a you tube video that a Croatian national was stating that all his friends are Croatian. I have heard complains about Albanians too, because many of them go on wellfare. It will take time to integrate all of them, no?

integraion is a long process...
it takes sometime centuries

it s normal ethnic swiss most marry and hang out with their own and not with italians, croatians ecc