| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 50.000-60.000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Geneva,Lausanne,Zurich,Bern,Freiburg,Basel,Winterthur,Luzern,Neuchâtel,St. Gallen | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic,Swiss German,Swiss French,Swiss Italian | |
| Religion | |
| Islam andChristianity but alsoDruze andirreligion, among others | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Arabs,Arab diaspora,Arabs in Europe |
Arabs in Switzerland (Arabic:عرب سويسرا) areSwiss citizens or residents ofArab ethnic,cultural orlinguistic heritage fromArab countries, particularlyNorth Africa,Levant, andIraq, also small groups fromPalestine,Yemen, andSudan, who emigrated fromtheir native nations and currently reside inSwitzerland.
In the 10th century,Arabs from their MediterraneanFraxinet base settled in theValais for a few decades. They occupied theGreat St. Bernard Pass and even managed to reach as far asSt. Gallen to the north andRaetia in the east.[1]
The influx of Arab immigrants from various Arab countries since the early years of the twentieth century, most Arabs came to study, work or residence in Switzerland.[2]
Swiss people of Arab origin (predominantly fromMaghreb but also some fromMashreq areas of theArab world) in Switzerland. There are no official figures concerning the demographics of Swiss people of Arab descent.
The number of nearly 18,000 people by the end of the first decade became nationals ofArab Maghreb countries, make up 1% of the total foreign population in Switzerland. However, the presence and impact of this demographic in the public arena Swiss far greater than the actual number, according to a scientific study done by a comprehensive forum for Immigration Studies at theUniversity of Neuchatel, commissioned by theState Secretariat for Migration, Switzerland.[3]
By the end of 2010, Switzerland was hosting on its territory, especially in the big cities and in theFrench-speaking cantons, nearly all 18,000 permanent resident of the threeArab Maghreb countries distributed as follows:Morocco (7469),Tunisia (6418),Algeria (5822). The following chart shows the evolution of the number of permanent residents of theMaghrebis in Switzerland, according to their countries of origin in the period between 1981 and 2010.
Maghrebis are stationed in theRomandy. 64% ofAlgerians, 67% ofMoroccans and 56% ofTunisians living in theFrench-speaking cantons, more than half of Moroccans and Algerians divided between theCanton of Geneva andCanton of Vaud, but this phenomenon is less severe for Tunisians where we find about 30% of them in theGerman-speaking cantons, especially inmajor cities.[4]
The core index, which is used in Switzerland to distinguish between immigrant groups is the type of residence permit: There is a permanent residence (statement of class B and C), and temporary or seasonal residence (of class G, F, N and S). the report indicates that migrants Moroccans, Tunisians and Algerians have witnessed remarkable transformation since 1994, from temporary accommodation to permanent residency, after allowing for specific legal immigrants to apply for Swiss citizenship. For example, in 2009, 90% of Moroccans and Tunisians immigrants holders of residence permits of class B and C, while it was 70% for the Algerians in 2000.[5]The largest group of residents of North African origin are fromMorocco.[6]
| year | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2009 |
| North Africa | 6,205 | 10,905 | 15,469 | 20,415 |
In March 2012, theUnited Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights made a request to Switzerland to accept some Syrian refugees, and the Swiss government announced that it was considering the request.[7] In March 2015, theSwiss Federal Council set a goal of accepting 3,000 Syrian refugees over three years.[8] By September 2015, 5,000 Syrian refugees had received provisional permission to live in Switzerland, and an additional 2,000 had submitted asylum applications and were pending.[8]
According to theJoshua Project there are 16,000 from Lebanon living in Switzerland.[9]
According to theIraqi community in Switzerland there are 5,159 from Iraq. Obtaining permits from the category (C) (to establish an unlimited term): 2.533Obtaining permits from the category (B) (to establish long-term): 2.625The number of Iraqis residing in a non-permanent (until the end of October 2013): Obtaining permits from the class (L) (to establish short-term): 4Number of Iraqi refugees 2.143 (situation at the end of the month of November 2013): Holders of temporary residence of the category (N) (especially asylum seekers): 379. Obtaining permits from the class (F) (temporary residence on humanitarian grounds): 1.764[10]
According to official statistics there are 7,185 Iraqis in 2013.[11]
| Nation | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 352 | 378 | 454 | 771 | 2,046 | 3,257 | 7,553 | 7,185 |
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The majority of Arabs areMuslims, according to theAssociation Culturelle des Femmes Musulmanes de Suisse A.C.F.M.S Arab community which has about 30,000 people represents only 18% of the entireMuslim community.[12] There are alsoArab Christians from Arab countries, particularlyLebanon andSyria, and other faiths, such as theDruze.
Arabs in Switzerland speaksArabic as a mother tongue. The four national languages of Switzerland areGerman,French,Italian andRomansh. Thus the Arabs speak the language which is official in thecantons of Switzerland.[13]
