Swiss Passport

Why did many people come to Switzerland from (former) Yugoslavia in the 1990s?

Warum kamen viele Menschen in den 1990-er Jahren aus (Ex-)Jugoslawien in die Schweiz?

Correct answer: C

  1. A They wanted to study at a Swiss university.Sie wollten an einer Schweizer Universität studieren.
  2. B They wanted to visit their relatives and travel around Switzerland.Sie wollten ihre Verwandten besuchen und die Schweiz bereisen.
  3. C They were fleeing the war in their home country.Sie flohen vor dem Krieg aus ihrer Heimat.
  4. D They were needed as workers for the Grande Dixence dam project.Sie wurden beim Staudammprojekt Grand-Dixence als Arbeitskräfte benötigt.

Why

In the 1990s, there were wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo. That is why many people fled to Switzerland.

Common mistakes

D: They were needed as workers for the Grande Dixence dam project.
Workers came earlier for dams such as Grande Dixence, mainly from Italy; people from the former Yugoslavia fled the war in the 1990s.

Topic

Immigration and the Schwarzenbach initiative

After the Second World War, the economy grew strongly. Switzerland needed many workers. In 1948 it concluded an agreement with Italy. After that, mainly Italians came. They worked in construction, in factories and in hotels. Many only had a permit as a seasonal worker (Saisonnier): they were allowed to stay for a few months and could not bring their family. Later, people also came from Spain, Portugal, Yugoslavia and Turkey.

Timeline of Swiss history
  1. 58 BCHelvetii and Romans
  2. 1291The Rütli and William Tell
  3. 1515Marignano
  4. 1523The Reformation
  5. 1798The French and Napoleon
  6. 1815Neutrality
  7. 1848Sonderbund War and the federal state
  8. 19th c.From agrarian state to industrial state
  9. 1918National general strike
  10. 1939–1945Second World War
  11. 1948Prosperity and AHV
  12. 1970Immigration and the Schwarzenbach initiative
  13. 1971Women's suffrage and equal rights
  14. 1979The youngest canton: Jura

History of Switzerland
The 20th century

Sources

Last checked: September 2026

Question 219 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

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