Majority of Swiss population see racism as key social problem
Almost 60 percent of the Swiss population consider racism an important social problem, a poll by the Federal Statistical Of¿ce found.
The ¿gure of 59 percent is however, seven percent down on 2016, the year of the last survey, swissinfo.ch wrote.
In all, 55 percent of those asked rated the integration of migrants into society as working well.
These were some of the results of a survey on diversity and coexistence in Switzerland for 2018, which was published on Thursday. It aims to present a picture of the issues raised by the coexistence of different groups currently living in Switzerland.
Victims
In 2018, one quarter of Switzerland’s population said that they had been a victim of discrimination or violence during the past five years due to their affiliation to a group. Among the victims, most said that their nationality was the main reason.
The world of work, both in terms of access to the labor market and in day-to-day life, is where discrimination most frequently occurs. For example, 50 percent said they had experienced discrimination at work or when looking for work.
Diverse country
The statistical of¿ce said in the introduction to its report that diversity was a feature of life in Switzerland.
“The population of Switzerland comprises almost 200 different nationalities. Among Swiss passport holders, one person out of eight was born abroad and, therefore, has experience of migration.”
It said the situation was enriching but could also create challenges. This was the context against which the survey was carried out.