A puzzle to house Ukrainian refugees – RTS.CH

Located just behind Rolle beach, the place is idyllic. Closed since 2000, the old Riverolle hotel is about to experience a retraining in a household for migrants, with the agreement of the owners. But the project arouses strong oppositions of part of the population. The association “Bien Vivre à Rolle”, which was inspired by a movement similar to Boudry, brings together 1400 petitioners.

People in Rolle are not racist, nor xenophobic, but they want their city to remain very well and pretty, that we do everything we can to maintain it what

“The fear of the inhabitants, given the number of people expected, is that a small part of the migrants do not integrate and sink into a more or less serious delinquency,” sums up Jean-Pierre Roland, president of the association. This articulates three claims: find a place closer to the center, reduce the number of migrants and exclude men alone, deemed more problematic. “People in Rolle are not racist or xenophobic, but they want their city to remain very well and pretty, that we do everything we can to maintain it as is.”

Oppositions lifted by the canton

The Vaudois Establishment of Reception of Migrants (EVAM) has entered into a part of the claims, reducing the number of migrants expected in the center of 140 to 95, and favoring the reception of women and children on this site. The canton of Vaud then raised the oppositions, via a letter signed by the State Councilor Christelle Luisier, as revealed The side. “We continue the fight to the end and we hope to be heard,” sighs Jean-Pierre Roland. His association plans to call. The letter, which the RTS was able to read, suggests a remedy for the Court of Administrative and Public Law of the Cantonal Court.

It should still be remembered that the war in Ukraine has led to the greatest forced displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War

Contacted, the director of the EVAM assumes the lifting of the oppositions: “This is the only way to accomplish our mission”. Erich Dürst recalls that the canton of Vaud has around forty households. “In the majority of cases, everything is going well.”

The manager says he is open to dialogue, but on the lifting of oppositions, he specifies: “The law gives competence to the canton to make this type of decision, to find accommodation solutions in the event of an important influx of migrants. We are clearly in this situation. We must still remember that the war in Ukraine has led to the greatest forced trip of people in Europe since the Second World War.”

Everywhere in French -speaking Switzerland, the number of people to be accommodated remains significantly higher than in January 2022, according to the cantonal data compiled by the RTS. We are no longer at the peak of the migratory wave trained by the war in Ukraine, but the needs remain important.

Under these conditions, the case of rolle is not isolated. The number of French -speaking municipalities welcoming cantonal households for migrants has increased sharply since the start of the war, going from 39 to 71 municipalities in six cantons (Bern does not provide details, for the sake of security).

In some cantons, such as Vaud and Valais, we observe a concern for decentralization: “It is a desire for our department of department, the State Councilor Isabelle Moret, to seek to distribute the beneficiaries throughout the cantonal territory”, confirms Erich Dürst.

Two challenges

The Evam must today face two challenges: some leases for emergency households are expired, while the number of Swiss families welcoming Ukrainians is retreating. In Geneva, the general hospice observes a similar situation: “An enormous effort has been provided since February 2022, especially in the transformation of administrative buildings into collective housing. The number of places in collective accommodation has thus doubled in three years”, notes the spokesman Bernard Manguin.

It had become dangerous, there were bombs all the time. It was complicated for my children to go to school in shelters, with the sound of sirens permanently

He notes a decline in the number of people hosted as a foster family: “It is the best way to integrate new arrivals, they thus quickly understand the language and culture. The Swiss who have received migrants at home remain very positive on this experience. But it is also restrictive to have foreigners at home, the effort is difficult to hold over.

On the side of the beneficiaries, the quality of the reception in Switzerland is praised. In Blonay, the former Mottex hospital, converted into a home in 2023, houses 120 people, 50% of Ukrainian origin. This is the case of Olah Huz, who fled the war with his mother and two children: “It had become dangerous, there were all the time bombs. It was complicated for my children to go to school in shelters, with the sound of the mermaids permanently.” English teacher, she cannot exercise her activity here as long as she does not master French enough. So, she is working to improve her level: “Now I am registered with unemployment, and I’m looking for a job. Any job, to work and learn French.” Recognizing, she hopes to be able to stay in this host country.

“Many people have left their country at war, the basis of a home like this is to offer a place where they feel safe, to be able to rebuild themselves,” explains Vincent Schlatter, director of the Mottex home. He believes that in Blonay, the center is well accepted; Many volunteers from the region support, in particular to teach French. But he also recognizes that for many migrants, the integration path will be still long and difficult.

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