Executive summary

The Serbian diaspora in Switzerland is one of the largest foreign populations in the country. The migration of Serbian nationals to Switzerland is rooted, in large part, in Swiss labour migration policies of the 1960s, 70s and 80s when short-term “guest worker” permits were offered to thousands of migrant men and women, among them, a large number of Serbian nationals. Over the years, increasing economic hardship was the key factor motivating Serbian men and women to migrate to Switzerland, and ultimately, to remain there permanently. Consequently, by the time the Swiss government phased out the seasonal guest-worker programme in the 1990s, a large Serbian population had established permanent residency in Switzerland, a status which allowed them to facilitate a smaller but constant flow of new immigrants for the purpose of family reunification, resulting in a present-day Serbian diaspora of approximately 200,000 people.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions