The State Secretariat for Migration has published new migration statistics of foreigner population in Switzerland. Here are some interesting statistics.
- As of 2016, 2,029,527 legally resident foreigners in Switzerland, 69% were EU/EFTA nationals. Italians are Switzerland’s largest foreign community, followed by Germans and Portuguese.
- Switzerland issued 428,463 Schengen visas in 2016 .Indians lead in applying for schengen visas to Switzerland. Most Schengen visas were approved by Swiss consulates in
- India (96,211),
- China (68,967),
- Thailand (33,893) and
- Russia (24,131).
- In 2015, 42,974 persons were granted Swiss citizenship either through the standard (32155) or facilitated (10688) naturalisation procedure or through rein-statement of Swiss citizenship (131). Those naturalised came from Italy, Germany, Portugal, France and Kosovo. On 30 September, the Swiss Parliament approved the legislative provisions on facilitated naturalisation for the third generation of foreigners and among the main amendments to the law are the requirement for applicants under the ordinary naturalisation procedure to hold a permanent residence permit at the time of submitting the application and to meet the integration criteria (adequate language skills). People who have been living in Switzerland can apply for normal or facilitated naturalization for swiss citizenship
- 27,207 persons applied for asylum in Switzerland. The main countries of origin were Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Iraq.
- In 2016, the State Secretariat for Migration handled 31,299 asylum applications. Asylum was granted to 5,985 persons
- Swiss authorities ensured the removal by air of 8,781 foreign nationals
- 2,378 persons obtained residence permits as hardship cases
- 693,759 Foreign population holders of residence permit B
- 1 310 923 foreign resident population holders of Permanent residence permit C
- Vaud, Zurich, Geneva, Berne host the largest foreign resident population.
