Integration is a key requirement for any foreign national who wants to live and work in Switzerland and, even more so, become naturalised. And the government earmarks a tidy sum of money for that purpose.
As a reminder, the Swiss definition of ‘integration’ is multi-faceted.
It includes learning the local language, holding a job and being financially self-sufficient, obeying the law, as well as respecting Swiss values and way of life.
READ ALSO: When do the Swiss think a foreigner is successfully integrated?
While for some new arrivals this process may be relatively simple, others may struggle to meet some, or all, of these requirements.
The government doesn’t leave these struggling individuals to their own devices.
Promoting integration
Article 4 of the Swiss Federal Act on Integration states that “the federal government’s contributions to promoting integration are intended to enable foreigners to participate in economic and social life, and to foster social cohesion.”
According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), “these measures contribute, in particular, to faster and more sustainable professional integration of migrants.”
And “promoting integration also helps tap the potential of workers in Switzerland and relieves the burden on social welfare structures. Calculations carried show that, in the long term, promoting integration saves the government up to four francs for every franc invested in people of working age.”
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How much money is spent for this purpose?
For the years 2024-2027, the federal government earmarked about 248.8 million francs to be distributed to cantons for their own integration programmes (PIC).
“The PICs are the main strategic instrument of Swiss integration policy.” the Federal Council said. “They are based on programme agreements concluded between the Confederation and the cantons. The 2024-2027 agreements provide for seven areas of support, including language, trainability and employability, and living together and participation.
“These funds will enable the cantons to finance measures aimed primarily at immigrants from EU or EFTA [Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein] countries, as well as those from third countries,” the government added.
(This amount, however, doesn’t include the ‘integration allowance’ 18,000 francs for refugees and asylum seekers).
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How exactly is this money being spent?
SEM’s data indicates that in previous years, the biggest amounts went toward language courses (88 million francs), employment (73 million), and counselling (26 million).
Cantons also spent money on ‘protection against discrimination’, as well as ‘social integration.’
However…
It should be clear, but in case it isn’t – the money doesn’t go directly into immigrants’ pockets.
Instead, it goes to cantonal authorities to pay for services, like those mentioned above, that make the integration process easier.
