Is racism on the rise in Switzerland?
What do the Swiss think about racism in their country? Is it on the increase? swissinfo.ch asked people in the streets of Bellinzona.
In 2017, the Network for Victims of Racism External linkregistered 301 cases of racial discrimination, which was 100 more than the previous year. Is racism really on the rise in Switzerland? There are no simple answers.
The increased number of cases does not necessarily mean there is more racism, according to the organisation’s reportExternal link. It could also be because people are more aware of advisory centres, whose number has also risen (from 5 to 27 in ten years).
People in the streets of Bellinzona also had different opinions on the issue. One young man told the story of an African friend who was beaten up because of his skin colour. Another person said there was a lot of racism in Switzerland, but not more than in other countries.
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