In its annual report, the human rights organisation Amnesty International cited Switzerland’s stricter asylum laws and ongoing discrimination against minorities as concerns while noting progress in the treatment of deported asylum seekers.
The report specifically cited as problematic the facts that individuals could no longer apply for asylum at Swiss embassies abroad and that conscientious objection is no longer considered grounds for granting asylum. However, Amnesty International praised Switzerland’s willingness to allow asylum seekers’ forced repatriation to be overseen by independent organisations and its decision to restrict the use of restraints on deportees.
The Swiss people are due to vote on the tightened asylum laws in June.
Manon Schick, manager of Amnesty International’s Swiss division, views the vote as «a symbol of a general isolationism,» adding that countries tend to protect their borders over human rights.
The Amnesty International report also cited reports of police abuse in canton Geneva during and after festivals and events, including the abuse of minors.
Furthermore, it called on all cantons to establish appropriate care facilities for treating patients with mental illness.
Amnesty International took note of recent Swiss efforts to combat human trafficking and violence against women, and Schick added that the country had made significant efforts in the area of human rights in the past year – but «usually only under pressure».