The rule, in place since the start of July, will affect those crossing the nearby French border and is expected to remain through the summer. According to city officials, the decision was made after a series of incidents involving non-resident visitors.
"In the last few weeks alone, some 20 incidents are reported to have occurred at the pool, each involving visitors from France who were then banned,” said city councilor Lionel Maitre. He continued, saying that “we have young girls who were followed and whistled at,” and added that staff members were disrespected and, in at least one case, physical assaulted, according to the Daily Mail.
The pool is now limited to Swiss citizens and holders of valid settlement or work permits.
Authorities say the decision is based on security and capacity concerns, not discrimination. “We need to look at the problem differently. There are huge crowds today, and it's imperative that we ensure that the people of [the canton of] Jura can benefit from this infrastructure,” said Mayor Philippe Eggertswyler.
Maitre added that while “not all of these people came from neighboring France,” most of the recent disruptions have been linked to foreign visitors. He pointed to the closure of public pools in France due to similar behavior, which he believes has redirected young people across the border into Switzerland. He said violations included “harassment of young women,” people swimming in their underwear, use of vulgar language, and “violent behavior.”
The Swiss government's Federal Commission Against Racism (FCR) has condemned the policy. FCR president Ursula Schneider Schüttel warned that the blanket restriction may violate Switzerland’s constitutional protections against discrimination under Article 8.
Porrentruy officials rejected that claim. “The Federal Commission against Racism is doing its job, and we are doing ours,” Eggertswyler said in response.
Criticism has also come from within Switzerland and neighboring France. Jura council member Mathilde Crevoisier urged the town to reverse the measure, calling it “disproportionate.” “There are problems, but blanket bans are not a solution. We live in the heart of Europe and do not want discrimination,” she said.
Swiss newspaper Le Temps ran an editorial warning that the decision “set a dangerous precedent.” Meanwhile, area outlet Blick reported that diplomatic officials said the French Embassy in Bern is weighing a possible response to the restriction.
