Locals in the Swiss town of Neuchâtel have offered an ultimatum to local authorities, saying they must deal with the growing problem with migrant crime or the residents will take matters into their own hands.
The ultimatum was spread across the Swiss town on dozens of posters that called on police to act against the problem of delinquency committed by mainly North African migrants.
“We are proud, organized and angry. We have the capacity to be dangerous for those who disturb social peace so much,” the poster said, according to a report from Swiss broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse.
So far, police say they have not been able to identify those behind the poster campaign but say that on at least two occasions there have been violent attacks on migrants causing trouble in the city.
Georges-André Lozouet, communications officer for the Neuchâtel police labelled the posters as unacceptable saying, “No one can take the place of the police. We are in a democracy and the system is bearing fruit.”
The alleged fruit Lozouet referred to is an operation by police in the area which led to 184 arrests and targetted those engaging in thefts and assaults.
In 2018, residents on the Greek island of Lesbos, which has been a hotbed for mass migration for years, echoed similar sentiment according to the leader of the community on Moria at the time.
Nikos Trakellis explained the situation on the island and said, “We are all being duped here and in Europe. They’re making fun of us. The residents are ready to take the law into their own hands. We are trying to contain the local community, to preserve whatever social cohesion is left.”
While normally police do not condone vigilantes, earlier this month in Montpellier a police officer allegedly suggested the idea to residents of a so-called “vulnerable” no-go neighbourhood in the city in order to deal with local delinquency.
The officer is said to have suggested that if residents do not like the situation they could simply leave.