Benefits of the Private Accommodation System for Ukrainian Refugees in Switzerland

Existing research assesses positively the introduction of the private accommodation system for Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland. This system effectively reduced the pressure on state structures during the peak period of their arrival from Ukraine. Host families, however, played a much greater role in the lives of Ukrainians than simply providing safe accommodation upon arrival.

Based on the field research from the project “Dealing with Crises and Liminal Situations: The Agency of Ukrainian and Syrian Forced Migrants in Three National Contexts,” we have studied the management of the influx of Ukrainian refugees and its impact on the refugees.

The regulated procedure for providing housing for migrants in Switzerland stipulates that people are first placed in federal reception centers, where refugees are isolated from the local population and have restrictions on their movement. People can stay in such centers for up to three months before being transferred to a cantonal housing facility, usually a collective housing arrangement. And only then can apply for private accommodation.

Ukrainian refugees have usually managed to go through the arrival process much faster or sometimes even bypass some stages. They are, for example, only allowed to stay for three nights in the federal centers. Many Ukrainians who arrived in Switzerland shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022, with the help of volunteers, went directly to live in host families, avoiding federal and cantonal shelters.

Social Contacts Between Newcomers and the Local Population

Through placement within host families, Ukrainian refugees had a unique opportunity to directly communicate with the local Swiss population. These host families became the representatives of Ukrainians within their communities, enhancing trust in Ukrainians and helping to overcome the barrier between strangers and locals. The host families proved to be effective in establishing social contacts between newcomers and the local population.

The narratives documented dialogue between Ukrainians and their neighbors, friends and acquaintances of their host families. Often the support given involved providing them with basic necessities upon arrival in Switzerland. In some cases, these interactions evolved into long-term friendships between Ukrainians and the Swiss, having a long-term positive impact on the refugees’ lives.

Almost all interviewed refugees maintained friendly relations with their host families. Many Ukrainians mentioned trying to keep in touch even after leaving. Host families were often the first people the refugees turned to for advice or help.

Relationship of Patronage

In many cases, Ukrainians and Swiss residents developed a relationship of patronage. The Swiss would often defend the Ukrainians and represent their interests in dealing with migration services or authorities. Bohdan, one of the interviewed refugees for instance, shared the story of finding a successful solution to changing cantons thanks to the help of his host family.

There were also cases where the Swiss acted as guides in the lives of Ukrainians at the initial stages after arrival, providing the traumatized and confused refugees with a perspective for the future and organizing their daily routine. For example, Yevheniia, another interviewed refugee, said that it was thanks to local residents that she learned about the education system in Switzerland, which allows one to work and study at the same time.

Another respondent shared that her host family had a significant impact on the organization of her daily routine. It was the family’s insistence on teaching her German and involving her in sports that had a positive impact on her psychological state in the initial period and on her future life.

Quite often, the narratives mention that the refugees managed to solve their housing problems with the help of their host families or the local residents. For example, several refugees mentioned that it was their host families who found and rented decent housing for them and settled the issue of paying for it with the Refugee Service (ORS).

Contact with the Swiss also helped Ukrainians in their job searches. Vera, another refugee, explained that her German teacher helped her with finding a job by forwarding information on vacancies and even accompanying her to interviews with employers.

Integration Into Local Communities

The field research was mainly conducted in a village in the canton of Fribourg, where the community immediately implemented a year-long official program in support of the Ukrainian refugees. The program included primarily language courses, meetings, excursions, job search training, and the inclusion of Ukrainians in cultural and social events in the village.

In this way, the host family system created an opportunity for Ukrainians to integrate into local communities. In the case study, the village leadership and activists responded enthusiastically to the ‘Ukrainian challenge.’ They introduced local initiatives that eventually became significant support for Ukrainians in the face of initial confusion upon arrival and allowed them to build strong ties with local authorities and become active community members. At the same time, community activism also indirectly provided support to host families. The organization of weekly events for Ukrainians reduced the pressure on host families and partially relieved them of the burden of helping to organize the daily routine for newcomers in Switzerland.

Thus, the study shows that significant issues impacting the adjustment of Ukrainians in Switzerland, such as housing, work, education, and future prospects, have a better chance of being successfully resolved through mediation by the local Swiss population. Host families have been instrumental for Ukrainian refugees in establishing social ties with the local population, which has impacted their long-term success in settling into their new environment.

All names have been changed.

Oksana Ovsiiuk is a sociocultural anthropologist and a visiting scholar at the Social Anthropology Unit of the University of Fribourg (postdoc). She is an Associated Researcher in the nccr – on the move project « Dealing with Crises and Liminal Situations: The Agency of Ukrainian and Syrian Forced Migrants in Three National Contexts. »

References:

-Ammann Dula, Eveline, Nadine Gautschi, Gesine Fuchs, Selina Lutz, and Eva Granwehr. 2024. “Wohnen Statt Unterbringung: Chancen Und Herausforderungen Der Privaten Unterbringung von Geflüchteten Menschen Mit Schutzstatus S.” Bern: Berner Fachhochschule und Hochschule Luzern.
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-Lacroix, Julie, Anne-Laure Bertrand. From collective centres to private accommodation: housing trajectories of asylum migrants in Switzerland. Housing Studies, 2024.
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