A third of Swiss feel ‘disturbed’ by people from other cultures
Several thousand people demonstrate against police violence during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest in Geneva in July 2020.
Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi
A third of the Swiss population say they feel disturbed by people perceived as “different”, with a fifth mentioning Muslims in particular, according to a government study.
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Um terço dos suíços afirma se sentir “incomodado” por pessoas de outras culturas
The Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday that tolerance had increased slightly but so had violence against strangers since the previous survey on intercultural coexistence in Switzerland in 2018.
It found that 58% of respondents considered racism an important social problem, down one percentage point, and 64% thought the integration of migrants was working well, nine percentage points higher. Almost 70% were in favour of family reunification, eight percentage points more than in 2018.
A total of 59% of those polled supported the automatic naturalisation of second-generation Swiss, and almost 70% believed that foreigners are necessary for the economy to function.
In addition, a majority (52%) came out in favour of the right of foreigners to participate politically.
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Swiss ‘burka ban’ accepted by slim majority
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Supporters of the initiative to ban face coverings in public have carried the day with a majority of 51.2%.
In practice, however, experiences of discrimination are on the rise. Since the first study in 2016 the proportion of the population who have experienced discrimination or violence has risen from 27% to 32%.
Most victims cite their nationality as the cause, the statistical office said. Discrimination was most often experienced at work but also occurred in public spaces.
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Is racism a problem in Switzerland? A look at the latest numbers
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When it comes to racial discrimination, the situation in Switzerland is hardly comparable to that of the United States. But some issues persist.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
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Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
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Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
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Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
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Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
Demand remains high for rental flats in Switzerland
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More rental flats are once again being advertised on property portals in Switzerland. However, demand also remains very high.
One in five Europeans exposed to too much traffic noise
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More than one in five Europeans are exposed to unhealthily high levels of traffic noise, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
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If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
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The ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war has visibly eased tensions on the financial markets. The SMI, Switzerland's leading stock market index, has risen above the 12,000 point mark again.
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Foreigners face discrimination in online recruitment, study confirms
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With the help of machine learning, Swiss researchers have found that foreign jobseekers are on average 6.5% less likely to be contacted by recruiters.
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A court in Zurich has acquitted three police officers accused of abuse of power and endangering the life and health of a Nigerian man.
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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.