Experts say discrimination is increasingly taking place in public.
Keystone
Switzerland documented a record 352 cases of discrimination in 2019, reflecting an increase in racist acts in public places and attacks spurred by far-right ideologies.
Xenophobia was the main driver for racist behaviour. Black and Muslim people are the worst affected, with 132 and 55 cases respectively registered by counselling centresExternal link in 2019.
External Content
The number of cases with a right-wing extremist connotation also rose in 2019. Every tenth attack falls under this category, notes the Blick newspaper in its Sunday edition.
Only a small number of victims of racism, she notes, seek help from an advice centre. The number of unreported cases is believed to be higher than the number of reported cases.
Notable racist acts in 2019 included the spraying of Nazi symbols, people making the Hitler salute and attacks against black youth.
Racial profiling is another issue highlighted by the authorities, with 23 cases reported last year.
The 352 figure represents a 27% increase relative to 2018. The government has already published some of its main findingsExternal link for 2019 but is expected to release a full report on the issue on Monday.
In its 2020 report, the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) urged Switzerland to boost the capacity of counselling centres for victims of racism.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
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 police investigate KKK carnival costumes
This content was published on
The Schwyz cantonal police force has interviewed all 12 people who dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes during carnival celebrations last week.
Anti-racism report recommends regularising asylum seekers after six years
This content was published on
The Council of Europe has recommended that Switzerland grant legal resident status to those who cannot return to their country after six years.
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.