More than half of immigrants who arrived in the past decade had already left Switzerland: Bern universities triple fees for foreign students; and more news in our roundup this Tuesday.
More than half of the immigrants who arrived in 2015 have already left Switzerland
Just over 150,000 foreigners arrived in Switzerland in 2015; of those, around 60 percent left Switzerland within the following ten years.
By nationality, people from North America have had the highest re-emigration rate: more than 80 percent of those who immigrated to Switzerland in 2015 had left the country by the end of 2024.
In contrast, nationals of other third countries have a lower re-emigration rate of just over 50 percent.
However, approximately 40 percent of all people – both Swiss and foreign – who emigrate, return to Switzerland within the following decade.
Tuition fees will almost triple for foreign students at Bern universities
The University of Bern and the Bern University of Applied Sciences will raise their fees starting in autumn of 2026.
But while Swiss students will pay 100 francs more per semester (from 750 to 850 francs), those from abroad will be hardest hit: their tuition will increase from francs 950 to 2,550 francs per semester.
However, a transitional arrangement will be in place for already enrolled international students: they will be able to complete their studies at the old rate.
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Switzerland wants to protect young children from chemicals in toys
The Federal Council has spoken in favour of a parliamentary motion urging Switzerland to follow the European Union’s lead in banning pollutants in toys.
Concretely, the EU is seeking to ban the use of PFAS – chemicals leading to potentially serious health concerns – in toys by 2030. The European Parliament, Member States and the Commission effectively agreed on a new proposal for a regulation in April 2025, prohibiting the sale of toys containing certain harmful substances.
Following this lead, Switzerland too wants to create an amendment to the current toy safety legislation, in order to ban, also by 2030, the sale of products containing PFAS.
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A deadline not to miss this week…
The deadline for changing health insurance carrier and /or policy is approaching.
In case you would like to switch insurance providers, you must inform your current company by November 30th at the latest.
Since this day falls on a Sunday, it is best not to wait until the very last moment, but to make sure your cancellation letter is stamped by Friday, November 28th.
READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about changing your Swiss health insurance in 2025
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at news@thelocal.ch
