Swiss record almost 600 cases of racial discrimination in 2020
There were 572 recorded cases of racial discrimination in Switzerland in 2020, according to figures released on Sunday. The coronavirus pandemic has shifted incidents closer to home.
The highest number of cases – 95 – were at the workplace, said the Federal Commission against Racism (FCR) in its report, which is based on incidents registered by the country’s 21 racism counselling centres. Examples were when somebody was humiliated, subject to disrespectful remarks or unequal treatment at the hands of management.
There were 72 incidents in neighbourhoods. “The restrictions on public life due to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic have shifted the incidents of discrimination to the private sphere, especially to neigbourhoods,” said a FCR statementExternal link. Here it gave the example of a refugee family, who had just moved into a flat, being harassed by a neighbour.
The report has updated its methodology for collating cases, meaning that it was not possible to compare the 2020 results to those of the previous year. But nevertheless, the report noted that “the lockdown had played a not to be underestimated role here” in the number of local incidents.
In her introductionExternal link, racism commission president Martine Brunschwig Graf said that the coronavirus crisis had once again show how uncertainty and tension within society could lead to a deterioration in behaviour towards other people. “The temptation to find a scapegoat in difficult times is high,” she wrote.
Other places where a relatively high number of racist incidents had taken place last year were public areas, the local authorities, education and training institutions, the police and on the internet, the report noted.
Overall, xenophobia was found to be the most frequent motive (304 cases), followed by discrimination against black people (206 cases) and Muslims (55 cases). In around a quarter of incidents, there were multiple reasons for discrimination, so gender, legal and social status factors in addition to racism, the report said.
Michael Schumacher’s watches fetch CHF4 million at Swiss auction
This content was published on
Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for around CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction house Christie's in Geneva on Tuesday.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
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
A third of Swiss feel ‘disturbed’ by people from other cultures
This content was published on
A third of the Swiss population say they feel disturbed by people perceived as “different”, with a fifth mentioning Muslims in particular.
Is racism a problem in Switzerland? A look at the latest numbers
This content was published on
When it comes to racial discrimination, the situation in Switzerland is hardly comparable to that of the United States. But some issues persist.
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.