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What is it like moving into an asylum seekers' home?

The problems of finding appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers are not confined to Zug.
The following article actually relates to a family moving into an asylum seekers' home in the canton of Lucerne, but it is expected the procedure is more or less the same all over Switzerland.
 
After their arrival in the country, the Syrian Ayan* family, consisting of Hamad, his wife Dalal and daughter Hawa, was initially sent to a reception centre at Altstätten in the canton of St Gallen where they made an application for asylum in Switzerland. From there, they were sent to the Sonnenhof asylum seekers' home in Emmen in the canton of Lucerne, where they were welcomed by warden Pascal Brodard for an initial interview. Ahmed Belouadi, who is doing work experience in the home, acted as interpreter.
 
The first question related to the situation with regard to their application for asylum, which is pending. Then they were asked about their health and about whether they already had any friends or family in Switzerland.
 
Then the family was informed about the house rules and life at the home. They appeared worn out and did not ask many questions themselves as all they wanted to do was return to their room to rest. "We try to keep initial interviews short," said Brodard, "as many asylum seekers have arrived here after a long journey." The family was then issued with their daily allowance of CHF12.00, of which CHF4.00 may be withheld if any rules are infringed. The allowance for a child is CHF 5.00 a day.
 
The family was then provided with clean linen for the bunk beds and a key to their own sparsely furnished room with a wardrobe and refrigerator. Among the rules explained to them were that the room had to be aired three times a day for at least 5 minutes each time and that they would be responsible for its cleaning, the standard of which was inspected every week. "Problems can occur in some rooms with men from cultures where cleaning is something they just do not do," said Brodard.
 
They were then shown how to use the communal kitchen on the same floor and told about the importance of separating rubbish as well as the rules about using the toilets and showers. Up to two-thirds of asylum seekers are individual men, with families making up a third of the total number, but at least the Ayan family had a room of their own.
 
Brodard ensures that all asylum seekers accommodated in shared rooms are, as far as is possible, from similar cultural backgrounds, with men's and women's accommodation strictly separate.
 
On the morning after admission, Mr Ayan and his daughter came to be shown round the home, with his wife staying in their room, thinking that as her husband was head of the household, this was a matter for him. However, she too, was summoned, as it was felt the information they were about to be given was important for both. There followed a further explanation of the rules of the house, such as the importance of showing respect for other residents, cleaning duties and knowing when the front door is locked, which, for residents, is between 00.20 am and 6.40 am, with visitors allowed between 8 am and 8 pm.
 
Further interviews followed in the ensuing days, with other matters explained, such as provision of schooling for children. "We try to organise this as soon as possible," said deputy warden Roland Stauer, "as children have a right to education." As for the parents, the in-house German lessons are compulsory, so they can, for example, participate in school parents' evenings. "My job is to ensure the asylum seekers cope with life here. We, ourselves, cannot determine how long they stay but we can try to ensure they live as independently as possible while they are in Switzerland."
 
*The names have been changed for reasons of privacy.
 


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