Concept

Albanians in Switzerland

The Albanians in Switzerland (Albaner in der Schweiz, Albanais en Suisse, Albanesi in Svizzera, Shqiptarët në Zvicër) are Albanian migrants in Switzerland and their descendants. They mostly trace their origins to Kosovo, North Macedonia and to a lesser extent to Albania and other Albanian-speaking territories in the Balkan Peninsula. Their exact number is difficult to determine as some ethnic Albanians hold citizenship of North Macedonia, Serbia or other former Yugoslav countries. There were substantial numbers of Albanians in Switzerland from the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s and 2000s. While moderate numbers of Yugoslav citizens had residence in Switzerland during the 1980s, the bulk of immigration took place as a consequence of the Yugoslav Wars and the later Kosovo War, as well as by means of family reunion of those who had immigrated during this period. About half a million immigrants from the former Yugoslavia lived in Switzerland as of 2009, corresponding to roughly 6.5% of total Swiss population . About half of this number are Albanians (mostly Kosovar Albanians and to a lesser extent Albanians from North Macedonia and Albanians from Serbia). Taken as a single group, people from former Yugoslavia are the largest immigrant group in Switzerland, followed by the Italians at about 294,000. From the ethnic perspective, Albanians form the second largest immigrant group. Until the second half of the 20th century, there were very few contacts between Albania and Switzerland. Due to the high unemployment of the Albanians in Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, many Albanians came as guest workers in Switzerland in the 1970s. The Albanians quickly found work and integrated themselves into social structures in Switzerland. Many of the guest workers stayed in Switzerland and soon brought in the whole family. Until the 1980s there were almost only male migrant workers in Switzerland who were hardly perceived as Albanians in society because of their Yugoslavian citizenship.

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