Switzerland remains most popular destination for German emigrants among EU: Reports

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) has mentioned that Switzerland remains the most popular destination for German emigrants among all other European countries.

As per Destatis, at the start of 2021, around 309,000 German citizens resided in the Alpine republic of Switzerland.

The number has been increasing for years, as compared to 2020, the increase reached 0.7 per cent, which included around 2,100 people.

Similarly, the number of Germans obtaining Swiss citizenship has also been steadily increasing. In 2020, a new record was reached with about 6,900 naturalisations.

German’s second most common emigration destination is Austria, with around 209,000 Germans living there in 2021. For Switzerland, the annual growth was significantly higher as compared to Switzerland, resulting in four per cent, which is 8,700 more people.

Germans prefer Austria and Switzerland over other world countries because movement in these two countries is facilitated by geographical proximity and the common language.

According to Destatis data for 2019, the United Kingdom ranks third in terms of the largest number of German citizens, with around 142,000 people living there.

On the other hand, Spain ranks fourth as the most popular destination, with around 140,000 Germans living there in 2021.

In March, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) revealed that asylum applications submitted to the Swiss authorities fell by almost ten per cent in February, reaching a total of 1,304 applications.

According to data from the SEM, compared to a year ago, the number of applications has increased by 492. The major countries of origin of the applicants are Afghanistan and Turkey, reveal the Swiss authorities.

However, last month, Afghan nationals submitted more applications for international protection, with about 270 of them, which is 27 per cent less than in January. Also, citizens from Turkey have submitted 223 applications, marking a decrease of 11 per cent, while the number of applications submitted by Eritrean citizens has remained unchanged.