One in six people suffers from racial discrimination/ Sharp increase in racism in Switzerland
Pars Today - In recent years, racist incidents in Switzerland have been reported more than ever before. For the first time, most reports do not relate to incidents in the workplace, but rather to incidents in schools.
An 11-year-old student is repeatedly subjected to racial insults during classroom discussions. Black students are locked in a equipment room and classmates call them racist slurs. Police unjustly commit murder.
These are just a few examples mentioned in the latest report on the state of racism, prepared by the Federal Commission against Racism in collaboration with the Human Rights Organization and the counseling network for victims of racism, regarding Switzerland.
According to the report, in 2023, 876 cases of racism were reported, a 24% increase from 2022.
Most reported cases in the education sector involve black people.
A survey found that one in six people living in Switzerland has experienced racial discrimination in the past five years.
A monitoring survey conducted by the anti-racism service found that 17% of the population, or 1.2 million people, reported experiencing racist discrimination.
The press release continues that most victims of racial discrimination are between 15 and 39 years old. Racial discrimination occurs in all areas of life. About 69% of those surveyed reported experiencing discrimination in their daily work or job search.
Additionally, 30% mentioned public places and 27% mentioned school as locations of discrimination.
Earlier, a United Nations working group had announced that black people in Switzerland face daily discrimination and serious racial behavior by the police.
The group stated in a statement that it is concerned about the spread of racial discrimination and the human rights situation of African-descendant individuals in Switzerland.
A 59-point document also outlines the various problems faced by black people in the country, including what is described as "shocking reports of police violence accompanied by impunity over the past decades".
Source: More and more racist incidents reported in Swiss schools, 2024, Swissinfo.
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