Switzerland (Somali diaspora)

How many Somalis live in Switzerland?

At the end of 2025, 9,472 Somali citizens belonged to Switzerland's permanent resident population (Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS), STATPOP table px-x-0103010000_101). Another 1,317 were counted as non-permanent residents, of whom 920 were asylum seekers (BFS, STATPOP).

The permanent group has grown steadily. It was 5,864 in 2010, 6,907 in 2015, 8,281 in 2020 and 9,130 in 2024 (BFS, STATPOP). These figures count Somali citizens only, so Somalis who became Swiss are not included.

UNHCR counts by protection status. At the end of 2025 it recorded 4,565 refugees and 1,099 asylum seekers from Somalia in Switzerland (UNHCR Refugee Data Finder API, Switzerland, 1990 to 2025).

Which permits do Somalis hold?

Somalis in Switzerland hold a mix of residence papers. In 2025, the permanent residents held these permits (BFS, STATPOP):

• Residence permit (B): 4,692
• Settlement permit (C): 2,291
• Provisional admission (F): 2,285
• Asylum seeker (N): 180

The balance has shifted over time. In 2010, 3,525 Somalis held F permits and only 352 held the settlement permit (BFS, STATPOP). By 2025 more held C permits than F permits (BFS, STATPOP). For what each status means, see Refugee papers and status.

Where in Switzerland do Somalis live?

The canton of Zurich had the most Somali permanent residents in 2025, with 2,143 (BFS, STATPOP). Bern followed with 1,365, then Vaud (1,025), Geneva (731) and St. Gallen (719) (BFS, STATPOP). Lucerne, Aargau and Solothurn each had between 360 and 500 (BFS, STATPOP).

How did Somalis come to Switzerland?

Almost all came as refugees after 1991. UNHCR counted 109 Somali refugees in Switzerland in 1994 and 4,337 in 1997 (UNHCR API). A 2006 study put the whole Somali population at about 5,000 (Swiss Forum for Migration Studies (SFM), 2006).

Most of those who came in the 1990s had first lived in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti or Yemen (SFM, 2006). Most reached Europe by plane, often through the UAE or Saudi Arabia (SFM, 2006). A minority crossed the Mediterranean and came on from Italy by car or train (SFM, 2006).

Switzerland took a small number by resettlement. Between 1992 and 1999 it resettled 176 Somalis, and none in the following years up to the study (SFM, 2006). For the wider story, see Why and how Somalis left and Migration routes.

Why did so many hold the F permit?

Swiss law then limited refugee status to people persecuted by a state. Because Somalia had no recognised government after 1991, most Somalis could not qualify (SFM, 2006). Instead most received provisional admission, the F permit (SFM, 2006).

In 2003, 67% of Somalis in Switzerland held this status, 16% an annual permit, 9% a settlement permit and 8% were asylum seekers (SFM, 2006). The study noted that no Somalis had been forcibly returned to Somalia (SFM, 2006).

Do Somalis in Switzerland have work?

The F permit made work hard to find. In 2006, F holders faced limits on the labour market, and employers had to give priority to people with other permits (SFM, 2006). Diplomas and earlier work experience were often not recognised, leaving many in low-paid jobs (SFM, 2006).

Young people with F permits also faced tight rules for apprenticeships and higher education (SFM, 2006). The rise in B and C permits since then suggests many have moved to more secure status (BFS, STATPOP).

Who speaks for Somalis in Switzerland?

Somali associations exist in several parts of the country, and their leaders helped organise the 2006 SFM study (SFM, 2006). The federal migration office commissioned a 2010 study of the Somali and Eritrean diasporas in Switzerland (Eyer and Schweizer, Bundesamt für Migration, 2010).

What do Somalis in Switzerland face now?

• New arrivals: the number of Somali asylum seekers counted as non-permanent residents rose from 254 in 2024 to 920 in 2025 (BFS, STATPOP). UNHCR also recorded a rise, from 420 to 1,099 asylum seekers (UNHCR API).
• Family separation: in 2006, F permit holders could not bring spouses and children and could not get travel documents (SFM, 2006). About 2,285 Somalis still held F permits in 2025 (BFS, STATPOP).
• Moving on: the 2006 study found many Somalis saw Switzerland as a long transit stop, with the UK as the most hoped-for destination (SFM, 2006).

How are Somalis in Switzerland tied to home?

Many have family spread across several countries, which is why travel papers matter (SFM, 2006). Somalia's records show 32 migrants returning from Switzerland between 2020 and 2023 (Somalia National Bureau of Statistics, Migration Statistics Report 2024). Worldwide, Somalis abroad sent home US$3,134 million in 2025, about 24% of the economy (Central Bank of Somalia, Annual Report 2025).

Related pages

• Somali diaspora hub
• Refugee papers and status
• Life after leaving
• Italy (Somali diaspora)
• Austria (Somali diaspora)
• Germany (Somali diaspora)

Sources

1. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS). STATPOP, "Permanent and non permanent resident population by year, canton, population type, residence permit, sex, age class and citizenship" (px-x-0103010000_101), 2010 to 2025. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch. Checked 2026-11-12.
2. UNHCR. Refugee Data Finder API, Somalia to Switzerland, 1990 to 2025. api.unhcr.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
3. Moret, J., Baglioni, S. and Efionayi-Mäder, D. "Somali Refugees in Switzerland: Strategies of Exile and Policy Responses." SFM Studies 47, University of Neuchâtel, 2006. unine.ch. Checked 2026-11-12.
4. Eyer, P. and Schweizer, R. "Die somalische und die eritreische Diaspora in der Schweiz." Bundesamt für Migration, 2010. edudoc.ch. Checked 2026-11-12.
5. Somalia National Bureau of Statistics. "Migration Statistics Report," first edition. 2024. nbs.gov.so. Checked 2026-11-12.
6. Central Bank of Somalia. "Annual Report 2025." 2026. centralbank.gov.so. Checked 2026-11-12.