Security guards at Swiss asylum centre convicted of endangering life

In a video shown on television, an asylum seeker can be seen collapsing in a holding cell likely due to hypothermia and hypoglycemia. © Keystone / Gabriel Monnet

A Swiss court has convicted four security guards who worked at a federal asylum centre for endangering an asylum seeker's life. This is prompting questions about the use of private security guards in federal centres.

According to a reportExternal link on Swiss public television RTS on Thursday, the incident took place in a federal asylum centre in Boudry, in the central canton of Neuchâtel, in February 2021.

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The ruling issued on May 11, which was obtained by RTS investigative team, showed that four employees of a private security firm were convicted of “simple assault” and “endangering the life and health of others”.

In a video shown on television, an asylum seeker can be seen collapsing in a holding cell likely due to hypothermia and hypoglycemia. He had been outside without a shirt in freezing temperatures before being taken inside. It took staff about forty minutes to bring him a blanket and call for help.

Three officers received a 25-day suspended sentence. One officer is also accused of abuse of authority due to a violent gesture, receiving a 40-day suspended fine.

The incident has sparked debate about the role of private security guards at state-run centres. In a statement to RTS, State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) spokesperson Anne Césard said the SEM is in the process of hiring its own employees as security managers. “They will be responsible for supervising the field training of security officers,” she said.

The ruling is a “legal first,” according to RTS. Several other criminal proceedings are in progress following complaints by asylum centre residents against private agents mandated to secure federal centres.