Man sets himself on fire to protest asylum conditions
Scorch marks on the concrete square in front of the Swiss parliament.
Keystone / Anthony Anex
A man set fire to himself on Monday in front of the Swiss parliament to protest against conditions in asylum centres in canton Bern. His injuries are not life-threatening.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/dos
Español
es
Un hombre se prende fuego en protesta por las condiciones de asilo
He was taking part in a demonstration organised by the “Stopp Isolation” group, who say that new asylum return centres in canton Bern are like “open prisons, on the edge of society”.
Bern police confirmed that the man – who onlookers said was an Iranian who had been denied asylum in Switzerland – had set fire to himself, but did not risk fatal injuries.
A video carried by a local television station showed the man being suddenly engulfed by a blaze, before running towards the edge of parliament square with more modest flames on parts of his clothes. Several others who had seen this happen ran after to help put out the fire.
Members of the Stopp Isolation group had met with cantonal and national migration authorities last month to complain about conditions in three new centres to house rejected asylum seekers.
Their dissatisfaction had previously led to an overnight sit-in by around 60 of the asylum seekers in the Reitschule alternative cultural centre in Bern.
Last Friday, authorities wrote a letter to the group backing the “democratically legitimate” handling of the asylum centres, a response which sparked Monday’s demonstration.
More
More
Coronavirus hits asylum-seekers in Switzerland
This content was published on
Six asylum-seekers have been placed in quarantine after catching the coronavirus in Switzerland.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
Sharp hike in number of protected historic monuments in Switzerland
This content was published on
In 2022, there were close to 91,000 protected historic monuments in Switzerland, 21% more than in 2016, said the Federal Statistical Office.
Switzerland adopts further EU sanctions against Russia
This content was published on
Switzerland has added several dozen names to its list of sanctioned persons or entities from Russia after adopting the amendments made by the European Union.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss rights groups urge moratorium for asylum procedures
This content was published on
Human rights organisations in Switzerland have called for a suspension of asylum procedures due to the current coronavirus epidemic.
Asylum seeker requests in Switzerland hit 12-year low
This content was published on
Most asylum seekers (2,899) came from Eritrea, with Afghanistan (1,397), Turkey (1,287) and Syria (1,100) also featuring prominently among applicants. In March of last year, Switzerland introduced new laws dealing with asylum seekers, speeding up the majority of requests from 400 days to 140 days. Most of the simpler asylum cases are now dealt with…
This content was published on
The Swiss asylum policy was streamlined in last March to accelerate the procedure, but critics have raised serious objections.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.