New integration goals to 2030 and a newly appointed Foreigners’ Advisory Council

The city executive has adopted 20 integration goals, for the first time with a separate focus on preventing discrimination. Two weeks earlier it appointed the 25 members of the Foreigners’ Advisory Council for 2026–2030.

City executive (Stadtrat) Whole city Diversity & integration

According to the city, almost 45 per cent of the population was born abroad, and every year about 17,000 people move to Zurich directly from abroad. For each legislative term, the city executive sets the goals the administration pursues on integration.

The goals for 2026–2030

Under the title “Zurich is diversity lived” (Zürich ist gelebte Vielfalt), there are 20 goals in five areas:

  1. Access: everyone should benefit equally from the city’s services.
  2. Participation: in economic, political and social life.
  3. A culture of welcome and recognition.
  4. Preventing discrimination: this area is new.
  5. Tackling challenges: spotting and solving problems in living together early.

Digitalisation has also been added. A short report on the last term is linked from the city’s integration policy page.

The Foreigners’ Advisory Council

The council (Ausländerinnen- und Ausländerbeirat) represents Zurich residents without a Swiss passport towards the city executive. 124 people from more than 40 countries applied after a public call. The city executive chose 25 members, balancing origin, gender, age, German skills and networks. The co-chairs are the returning members Alessandra De Bernardi (Italy) and Olympia Georgoudaki (Greece). The council has existed since 2005 and was made permanent in 2011.

Primary sources