Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

Today’s briefing covers yesterday’s news in which the Swiss government acknowledged that the persecution of Sinti and Yenish travellers in Switzerland in the 20th century is a crime against humanity based on current international law.

We also take a look at an interview with the director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Helene Budliger Artieda. We round off today’s briefing with the latest immigration data and how Switzerland has been portrayed in the foreign press.

Sunny regards from Bern,

KEYSTONE/Str

A legal ruling announced yesterday found that the Swiss authorities bore joint-responsibility for crimes committed against the country’s nomadic communities.

The “Pro Juventute” foundation’s programme led to the removal of around 2,000 children from the Swiss Sinti and Yenish Traveller communities between 1926 and 1973. Adults who had been put in foster care as minors were often placed under guardianship, institutionalised, banned from marrying and in some cases, forcibly sterilised.

In the 1990s, Swiss authorities agreed on reparations, and the Swiss federal government issued an apology in 2013. However, the Yenish people in Switzerland demanded that the persecution be recognised as genocide.

From a legal perspective, there is no such term as “cultural genocide” in international law. Therefore, the forced removal of children and the deliberate destruction of family groups, intended to eradicate the nomadic way of life and assimilate the Yenish and Sinti, are classified as “crimes against humanity” under today’s legal standards.

Yesterday, the Swiss government acknowledged the findings and Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider stressed the importance of remembering these injustices.

• Read the article on Swiss public broadcaster, RTSExternal link in French or SRFExternal link in German
• Read the Keystone news article on SWI swissinfo.ch (in English)

Keystone / Susanne Goldschmid

Helene Budliger Artieda, head of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), shared her views on trade agreements with the US and wage dumping in an interview with Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.

When asked about the potential developments with the US, Budliger Artieda admitted that it’s difficult to predict under the Trump administration. “There are new announcements almost daily,” she noted. However, she questioned whether the US views the Swiss market as a significant priority.

Budliger Artieda added that “we’ve been doing exactly what the American government wants for a long time”. Currently, neither Budliger Artieda nor Economics Minister Guy Parmelin has visited Washington since the new administration took office, though she emphasised that such a visit is necessary to strengthen connections.

On free trade, Budliger Artieda reaffirmed Switzerland’s openness: “We’re always interested in establishing free trade agreements – no matter when, no matter where.” However, she was clear about certain limits. “No, we won’t do it with Russia,” she said firmly. When questioned on agreements with China she remained steadfast that economic interests should never outweigh human rights concerns. “We’re the only Western nation conducting a dialogue on workers’ rights with China,” she said, referring to concerns over the human rights of the Uyghur minority in China’s Xinjiang region.

Turning to Europe, Budliger Artieda reiterated the EU’s vital role in the Swiss economy, calling it the most important sales market for many Swiss companies. She also stressed the need for the free movement of persons, noting that many businesses in Switzerland rely on it to meet their staffing needs.

• Read the full article by the Tages-AnzeigerExternal link newspaper (paywall, in German)
• Read the Keystone new agency report on SWI swissinfo.ch (in English)

Keystone-SDA

Fewer people immigrated to Switzerland last year, with the majority entering the country with family members, according to new data.

In 2024, 170,607 people immigrated to Switzerland with permanent foreign residency status, according to data from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Immigration from the European Union and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) area accounted for 70.7% of total arrivals – 120,546 people – marking a 7.6% decline from the previous year. Immigration from non-EU/EFTA countries also decreased by 2.4%, with 50,061 people arriving from these countries in 2024.

Emigration also rose, with 5.9% more EU/EFTA nationals and 1.3% more non-EU/EFTA nationals leaving Switzerland compared to 2023.

As a result, net immigration (immigration minus emigration) among the foreign permanent resident population fell by 15.6% year-on-year to 83,392. As of the end of 2024, there were 2,368,364 permanent foreign residents in Switzerland.

• Read the Keystone news report on SWI swissinfo.ch (in English)
• Read more on Swiss public television, SRFExternal link (in German)

Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Foreign media reported less critically about Switzerland in 2024, according to findings from the Swiss foreign ministry.

International media often associate Switzerland with positive – sometimes stereotypical – symbols such as mountains, picturesque landscapes, chocolate, prosperity and watches, writes 20 minuten.

Particularly favourable coverage last year focused on Switzerland’s high quality of life, economic stability, innovation and neutrality, which has seen renewed approval following a temporary dip in the wake of the Ukraine war.

The peace conference at Bürgenstock, near Lucerne, drew the most international attention in 2024, with positive coverage around the world – except in Russia. Progress in negotiations with the EU was also well-received, although Switzerland was still criticised as a “cherry picker” by some outlets.

Switzerland’s banking sector continues to enjoy a strong reputation despite the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS. The foreign ministry found that over two-thirds of those surveyed rated the quality of Swiss banks as high.

Swiss culture also garnered positive attention, particularly after Nemo’s Eurovision Song Contest victory in Malmö, Sweden.

However, the small Alpine country was not without criticism: social issues such as euthanasia and incidents of anti-Semitism received negative coverage, while the high cost of living was highlighted as Switzerland’s most significant drawback.

• Read the full article in 20 minutenExternal link (in German)
• Read the report by the Swiss foreign ministryExternal link (in English)

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Picture of the day

Swiss politicians, including Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, Justice Minister Beat Jans and Swiss People’s Party parliamentarian Thomas Aeschi, are pictured above prior to the start of the Von Wattenwyl discussions taking place in Switzerland’s political capital, Bern, today.

In the run-up to the parliamentary sessions, the Von Wattenwyl talks between the members of the Federal Council and the parliamentary groups represented in the Federal Council take place in the patrician mansion in the historic centre of Bern.