Eritreans in Switzerland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 37,339 (2025)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Basel | |
| Languages | |
| Tigrinya, Tigre, Kunama, Afar, German, French, Italian | |
| Religion | |
| Christian (Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic), Islam |
Eritreans in Switzerland are citizens or residents of Switzerland who were born in Eritrea or are of Eritrean descent. As of 2025, there are 37,339 Eritreans living in Switzerland. Eritreans also form Switzerland's largest immigrant group from an African country.
The first interaction between Germany and Eritrea began in 1960s when Switzerland built bilateral relations with several African countries, including Ethiopia, of which Eritrea was then part.[2]
Many Eritreans fled to Switzerland since the outbreak of Eritrean War of Independence where they came as refugees and asylum-seekers.[3] Due to strict Swiss immigration laws, many Eritreans moved from Switzerland to Germany and Sweden.
Eritreans in Switzerland formed a little football league named "Eri Swiss league". Eri Basel, formed in 2020 was the first Swiss football team formed by Eritrean communities.[4]
