Record number of reported discrimination incidents in Switzerland
The number of reported cases of discrimination based on ethnicity, colour and religion has increased by half in 2017 compared to the year before. Better awareness and access to counselling are believed to be behind the rise.
The 27 Counselling Centres for Victims of Racism recorded 301 incidents of discrimination last year compared to 199 in 2016, according to information published in the Le Matin Dimanche, SonntagsBlick and SonntagsZeitung papers.
The authors of the report, which will be released on Monday by humanrights.ch and the Federal Commission against Racism, say that the figures do not mean that discrimination had increased in Swiss society. They attributed the rise to more awareness among those concerned or better access to counselling centres.
The authors also cautioned that there is a level of underreporting as these centres do not record all cases of discrimination and, in many cases, victims do not report it themselves.
Xenophobia, in general, was the most frequently reported ground of discrimination (112 cases, compared to 94 in 2016). This was followed by racism (95 cases versus 70), hostility towards Muslims (54 cases versus 31) and anti-Arab prejudice (36 cases versus 17).
In terms of actions, exclusion was the one most often cited (in 256 cases), along with mainly unequal treatment (in 36% of cases) and denigration (21%). Insults accounted for 31% of cases and acts of violence were reported in 8% of cases.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Swiss women have come a long way, but still face discrimination
This content was published on
Switzerland has been swept up in the grassroots ‘#MeToo’ movement and the growing dissatisfaction among women with the status quo.
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.