“It brings an open mind to our children”: Swiss families sponsor young refugees without parents

Published on October 6, 2024 at 11:34. / Modified on October 6, 2024 at 7:54 p.m.

“I really liked when he explained to me what language he speaks in his country: Dari.” Adèle is only 8 years old. However, she already knows one of the multiple idioms spoken in Afghanistan, where many adults would only be able to name Pashto. “And she drew a map with Switzerland, the United States and Afghanistan! I found it so lovely that this country suddenly existed for a little girl of her age,” marvels her mother, Caroline Mognetti. This family of five living in Gros-de-Vaud has been sponsoring Jawid for a year and a half, who was an unaccompanied minor (UMA) at the time of their meeting.

Many young people like him are looking for families who can share moments around a meal, a board game or during a walk. These adolescent refugees without parents have never been so numerous: 3,271 arrivals last year in Switzerland (including nearly 700 for Romandie), exceeding the peaks of 2015 and 2016. “According to estimates, 400 unaccompanied minors will be in the canton of Vaud at the end of the year. We have 70 teenagers on the waiting list for sponsorship as well as many young adults,” warns Antoinette Steiner, coordinator for Action-Parrainages, which has connected nearly 450 Vaudois families with young migrants since 2016. This organization, in partnership with the Paires association and the city of Lausanne, is offering an information evening on Tuesday October 8 on the subject, as well as an exhibition.

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