Swiss Anti-Minaret Vote Leads to Foreigners Avoiding Reservations, Impacting Housing Prices
Swiss citizens voted to ban minaret construction in 2009, revealing hidden anti-immigrant feelings. This caused foreigners to avoid moving to areas with stronger anti-immigrant attitudes, leading to a 40% decrease in their likelihood of moving there. Housing prices in these areas also dropped, and the effect lasted for about 5 months. Foreigners in high-skill jobs were more affected, showing a conflict when countries want to attract educated professionals from abroad.