Switzerland boosts integration funding by millions to help expats adapt

Known for being a country where settling in can be challenging, Switzerland is taking more action to support international residents. The Federal Council has announced it will increase funding for the coming years to help expats integrate at the federal and cantonal levels. 

Federal Council announces integration funding increase

The Swiss government has allocated 334,5 million Swiss francs, as part of its 2028 to 2032 programme, known as the Kantonale Integrationsprogramme 4 (KIP 4), to aid international residents in integrating into life in Switzerland. This amounts to 66,9 million francs per year, 5,4 million francs more than the previous period's programme, a Federal Council press release wrote.

The government explained that the funding boost is needed because “more people are benefiting from integration support.” 

A major portion of the budget, 37,3 million francs per year, will go to cantonal integration programmes that focus on helping people learn the local language, provide information or counselling and support “integration into education and the labour market.”

Targeted support for female expats & employment pathways

Going forward, the government will place a particular focus on supporting women who may have moved to Switzerland on a family reunification visa, as employment rates among female expats remain “significantly lower” than those of men, reports blue News.

The KIP 4 programme wants to “reduce barriers to integration for women” and “make greater use of educational pathways for sustainable integration into the labour market.” 

The nationwide integration programme also aims to help asylum seekers and refugees “quickly become part of our society and enter the workforce”, partly to reduce reliance on social assistance and “strengthen social cohesion”.

Despite these target areas for improvement, the overall employment rate among expats in Switzerland remains strong at 77 percent, and is “one of the highest rates in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] area,” continues the government press release.