An outdoor pool in Switzerland has reportedly banned most foreign nationals and many tourists for the summer period blaming them for outbreaks of anti-social behaviour.
The municipal council has limited access to the pool in Porrentruy, in the Jura municipality, that’s close to the border with France, between 4th July and 31st August, Aargauer Zeitung reported.
Only Swiss citizens, those who have permanent residency and people with a valid Swiss work permit will be allowed to use the pool during this period.
Foreign tourists who are staying in a hotel or campsite in Porrentruy can also buy a holiday card, which will allow them to use the pool.
The last time foreigners were restricted from using the pool was in 2020 when the decision was made to only allow access to Swiss citizens as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
So what led to the ban? According to Lionel Maitre, head of leisure at the Porrentruy District Municipal Association and mayor of Boncourt, it was because of bad behaviour from a number of French youths from across the border, the paper said.
The temporary closure of an outdoor swimming pool over the border in Delle has exacerbated the situation, but authorities expect problems to recur there, too, after its reopening on 8th July, Maitre said.
Maitre reported that they had seen numerous cases of misconduct at the Porrentruy pool by young people, mainly coming from the French départements of Territoire de Belfort and Doubs, the two neighbouring regions of France.
The incidents involve “harassment of young women, inappropriate language, swimming in underwear, and even violent behaviour after being reprimanded,” he said, the paper reported.
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More than 20 people have been excluded from the swimming pool and denied access, according to a statement from the authorities.
In an attempt to manage the situation, the pool hired security guards, but found this was not enough.
“Of all the people banned from entering, not all come from neighbouring France, but the few from Switzerland are a clear minority,” Maitre explained to the paper, adding that the access restriction also helped keep visitor numbers at a manageable level.
