Generally speaking, the impact of the restrictions on international mobility introduced 2020 in response to the pandemic was greatly felt by the foreign residents living in Switzerland.
The vast majority of the foreign residents continued living in Switzerland during the first wave of the pandemic that was marked by the first confinement and restricting regulations. Nevertheless, the majority of them, 77% felt that Switzerland was the right place to live during the first wave of the pandemic. Only 7% would have preferred to be in their country of origin.
The replies varied considerably between the four biggest groups of foreign nationals in Switzerland: the French replied most often (88%) that they considered Switzerland to be the right place to live during the pandemic and the German slightly above average with 79% and the Italians below the average with 74%. Among the Portuguese, in contrast, only 54% felt that Switzerland was the right place to live, and a relatively high percentage, 19% that stated that they would have preferred to be in their home country. Also among the Italians, 12% would have preferred to be at home during the pandemic.
Interestingly, those foreign residents that have arrived in Switzerland more recently, in the last four years, stated above the average (9%) that they would have preferred to living in their home country during these period of extraordinary circumstances.
Did the pandemic affect the migrants’ plans to stay in Switzerland?
What was the impact of COVID-19 on the professional situation of migrants?
Did local residents demonstrate empathy towards migrants?
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Sources: Migration-Mobility Survey 2020, nccr – on the move
Note on methodology: These figures are taken from the Migration-Mobility Survey, conducted in fall 2020 on a population of persons born abroad and with foreign citizenship who have moved to Switzerland in the last 14 years. To be included in the sample population, respondents had to be between 24 and 64 years of age at the time of the survey, and at least 18 years of age on their arrival in Switzerland. 7,393 people replied to the full questionnaire, either online or by telephone.
The question asked: Which statement best describes how you felt [during the confinement period beginning in March 2020]:
– my life is in Switzerland, so I felt I was in the right place.
– being in Switzerland or in my home country was the same for me.
– I would have preferred to be in my home country.
Terms of use: The Migration-Mobility Indicators are made available free of charge for non-commercial use. We ask the users to acknowledge the source.
Suggested citation: nccr – on the move, Migration-Mobility Indicators. Neuchâtel: nccr – on the move, 2021.
For more information about the data sets used, please click here.
Last update: 2 September 2021