Around 25,000 Ukrainian refugees are living with host families in Switzerland. This type of accommodation is stable and promotes integration, according to a survey.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Italiano
it
Le famiglie ospitanti per i rifugiati ucraini sono considerate un successo
The Swiss Refugee Council (SRC), which commissioned the survey, said the model works well or very well in most cases. The survey was conducted online among 1,073 host families in 19 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.
One success factor is the space available. In almost all the host families surveyed, refugees have at least one or more rooms at their disposal, the SRC said in a statementExternal link on Thursday. This ensures that the privacy of both parties is maintained.
Host families said they considered the remuneration provided by the cantons to be adequate. Thanks to this, host families have a positive perception of living together and of the duration of the accommodation.
Furthermore, the model is stable. In fact, 70% of the stays last for more than three months. And more than half of the families have extended their commitment at least once.
Expanding to other refugee groups
Another positive effect is that more than 90% of the respondents said they provided support in everyday life, for example in administrative matters, finding a job or learning the language.
One year after the start of the war in Ukraine, 35% of refugees arriving in Switzerland are staying with host families. Without this model, they would be placed in federal structures. According to the SRC, this is the first time in recent history that private accommodation has played a key role in reception policy and is preventing the asylum system from becoming saturated.
Based on these findings, the SRC wants to extend the model to other refugee groups. “In the future we want refugees to live in the heart of society,” said Miriam Behrens, director of the organisation.
External Content
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden
Swiss political class divided over reform of EU asylum pact
This content was published on
As a result of the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, Switzerland must adapt five laws linked to the Schengen/Dublin agreements.
AI can reduce the number of animals needed for research
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have developed a new, AI-supported method that analyses the behaviour of mice in the laboratory more efficiently.
Geneva Conventions conference on Middle East scheduled for March 2025
This content was published on
The conference on the Middle East of the 196 States party to the Geneva Conventions, organised by Switzerland, will take place in Geneva in March.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Caritas wants to improve protection status S for refugees
This content was published on
One year after the introduction of protection status S, the charity considers the overall balance to be positive but sees room for improvement.
Ukrainian refugees still welcome in many private Swiss homes
This content was published on
The commitment of Swiss citizens who took in Ukrainian refugees is proving more persistent than expected, according to a media report.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.