| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 35,000 | |
| Languages | |
| Tamil,Swiss German,Swiss French,Swiss Italian | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism (Majority) Christianity |
| Part ofa series on |
| Tamils |
|---|
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 Tamil portal |
Swiss Tamils refer to the Swiss citizens ofTamil as well as expatriate residents of Tamil origin living inSwitzerland. Most of the Tamils in Switzerland are fromSri Lanka, who came toSwitzerland during 1980s and 1990s as refugees due to theSri Lankan Civil War.[1] The Tamils are well integrated in the Swiss society and have proved themselves as a hard-working people and many young Tamils are doing well in school. Tamil values are still strong among the community, social system and arranged wedding are common.[1] The second generation seem to be better integrated than the first generation, but most still follow the old ways.[2]
About 42,000 Tamils are living in Switzerland and 10% of them have been naturalised.[3] This figure does not include most of the second-generation Tamils born to parents with Swiss citizenship. The Tamils in Switzerland live mainly in theGerman-speaking areas, such as cantonsBern,Zürich andBasel.[4]
The majority of Hindus in Switzerland are Tamils. Between 1990s and 2000s, around twenty Hindu temples were founded by Tamils.[5] TheSri Sivasubramaniar Temple in Zürich is the most famous and largestHindu temple in Switzerland.[6] Most of Tamil Christians in Switzerland are integrated in Swiss parishes. The majority of Tamil Christians live in thecanton of Zürich.[7]
Switzerland was one of the fewSri Lankan Tamil diaspora countries, where theTamil Tigers could act legally.[8] During the last phase ofSri Lankan civil war, more than 10 000 Tamils protested in front of theUnited Nations Office in Switzerland.[9]
