"We are building something here": Zurich's newest arrivals speak out on integration challenges and hopes

In a modest community centre near Aussersihl station, Amara Diallo carefully arranges chairs for the weekly German conversation group. The 34-year-old arrived from Guinea three years ago and now volunteers at Migrante Zurich, an organisation supporting newcomers navigating Switzerland's complex integration landscape. "People see migration as a problem to solve," she says, speaking in careful but confident German. "But we are here, working, paying taxes, building families. We are not problems—we are neighbours."

Her sentiment reflects broader patterns in Zurich, where approximately 35 percent of residents hold non-Swiss citizenship, according to 2025 city statistics. Yet recent global headlines about migration have intensified scrutiny, prompting many community members to articulate their own narratives.

At the Wiedikon community market last week, conversations revealed nuanced perspectives often absent from policy debates. Maria Chen, who moved from Taiwan eight years ago to work in pharmaceutical research at the University of Zurich, expressed frustration with bureaucratic delays. "My renewal took fourteen months," she explains. "During that time, I couldn't travel. I couldn't plan. The system assumes you're guilty until proven innocent."

Housing remains the most pressing concern across interviews. Rental prices in central Zurich average 2,800 francs monthly for a two-bedroom apartment—among Europe's highest. Many newcomers concentrate in outer districts like Schwamendingen and Altstetten, where communities have developed rich cultural networks. At the Al-Noor mosque on Langstrasse, imam Abdullah Hassan noted that economic pressure shapes integration outcomes. "When families struggle to afford housing and childcare, integration becomes secondary to survival,"he observes.

Yet success stories abound. Kerem Özdemir, who arrived from Turkey in 2019 as a construction worker, now runs a small carpentry business in Aussersihl, employing five people—three of whom are also migrants. "Switzerland gave me tools and a chance," he reflects. "Not everyone gets that opportunity in their first country."

At Migrante Zurich's offices near Central station, director Sophie Keller emphasises that integration works both ways. "We see migrants learning German, participating in civic life, becoming Swiss citizens. But we also see native Zurich residents isolating themselves, living in separate bubbles."

Community members overwhelmingly advocate for long-term investment in language programmes, childcare support, and workplace integration initiatives rather than restrictive policies. "Give us time and opportunity," Amara says simply. "We will show you what we can contribute."

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