New emergency accommodation for asylum seekers in the canton of Geneva
Published: Friday, Jan 12th 2024, 17:31
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In Thonex in the canton of Geneva, emergency accommodation for asylum seekers will be set up in underground civil defense rooms from next week. The center will be managed by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). It has a capacity of up to 100 people.
Last year, the federal parliament rejected the construction of "container villages" to cope with the influx of asylum seekers and called on the SEM to work with the cantons in particular to find solutions that build on existing structures, especially civil defense shelters, SEM spokeswoman Anne Césard said on Friday.
The canton of Geneva proposed the underground civil defense shelter Pont-Bochet in Thônex, a municipality with around 16,000 inhabitants. In principle, the shelter will only accommodate single adult men and will only be used if necessary if the regular federal structures are no longer sufficient. No families or minors will be accommodated.
The emergency accommodation in Thônex is not intended for longer stays. The asylum seekers will spend an average of three to four weeks there until the next steps of their procedure are initiated in Boudry NE. In a second step, the asylum seekers will be distributed to the cantons.
The people in the emergency accommodation will be able to move around freely during the day, as is the case in all other federal asylum centers. They are offered three meals a day and can take part in activities such as hiking, board games, swimming pool visits and various sports. French lessons are also provided.
"Not ideal"
Underground reception areas are not ideal, and the SEM is aware of this, Césard continued. However, the most important thing is to be able to offer all asylum seekers a roof over their heads and a bed, the spokesperson emphasized.
Last year, Switzerland processed around 30,000 asylum applications and 25,000 "Status S", mainly Ukrainians. The SEM expects similar figures for 2024. However, everything will depend on the global geopolitical situation.
©Keystone/SDA
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