Disillusionment follows with many helpers. Because of noise, cleanliness issues or language barriers, many want to get rid of refugees again.
According to UNHCR, more than four million people have fled Ukraine so far, and the number is growing by the thousands every day. This not only guarantees a strong willingness to help, but also causes problems. In Austria, the Viennese head of the FPÖ, Dominik Nepp, recently complained about Ukrainian refugees. He was infuriated by the fact that they would roar around town in “fat carts”, stay in fancy hotels and drink good wine at the Graben.
Read more: Day 37 of the war in Ukraine – the live-ticker
There is also discontent in Switzerland, but on a different level. 22,000 refugees from Ukraine are in Switzerland, with another 1,000 arriving every day. A large part of them – more than 5,000 people – are accommodated in private accommodation. With colleagues, friends or helpers who have made their house or apartment available. But many are now apparently lashing out because living together is harder than expected. “When we asked, 1,800 out of 30,000 potential hosts dropped out,” says Christian Messikommer of the Campax association. “Solidarity has not yet been broken, but when reality sets in, many will feel uncomfortable.”
Tensions and misunderstandings are the order of the day: “Refugees don’t just sit in their little room and are grateful for the rest of their lives,” says Messikommer. On the contrary: “They are often sad and under constant stress because they are in the dark, and many have as active a social life as their hosts.” What the vast majority of people underestimate is communication: “Even with a translator tablet, you’re on edge at some point,” says Messikommer. “If you need to explain to someone in a foreign language how you would like to find your toilet after use, it’s not always easy.”
“Refugees are disappointed when they have to sleep on the couch”
As in a shared apartment, people’s habits differed in terms of social interaction, hygiene and eating habits, says Messikommer. “So it’s completely normal for conflicts to arise.” Ukrainian historian Olha Martynyuk, who currently lives in Switzerland, sees the reason for this in false expectations – from both refugees and hosts: “After fleeing a brutal war, refugees don’t expect their own house or apartment. having to stay in a small closet or on the sofa is not comfortable.”
At the same time, both parties lack privacy in such cases, which can cause problems. “Having your own space to retreat is therefore very important,” says Martynyuk. In addition, more attention must be paid to ensuring that the people assigned really fit into the hosts’ lifestyle. “It’s better to put an older woman who needs her rest with older people with the same interests than a house full of children. It’s better to send families with children there,” says Martynyuk.
In concrete terms, the topic of nutrition also carries the risk of misunderstandings. “Ukrainian refugees may have different eating habits than their hosts,” says Olha Martynyuk. These different lifestyles can also bring financial difficulties. “Often, financial support from the federal government is not enough to pay for expensive food and cover all other monthly costs for refugees.”
60 people relocated in the canton of Lucerne alone
Several cantons also confirm that Ukrainians seeking protection should be relocated. So far, there are 60 people in the canton of Lucerne. Other cantons don’t give numbers, but extrapolating to the whole country, there are probably hundreds in the same situation. Silvia Bolliger, head of Lucerne’s Office for Asylum and Refugees, sees problems on both sides. “There are increasing reports of host families and individuals who no longer wish to take in refugees,” says Bolliger. On the other hand, they also reported refugees that they no longer felt comfortable in their private accommodation and would like to be placed in cantonal accommodation.
Ursula Baum, manager of the Competence Center for Voluntary Work in the Canton of Basel, is also aware of the problems with private accommodation. “Tensions arise especially when framing conditions have not been clarified on both sides,” says Baum. “In a private context, it can happen that you want to help quickly and it’s not clear how to proceed or that you have received too many people.”
to St. Gallen Integration Projects Association (TISG) sees the main problem in the way refugees are allocated. “If individuals contact communities before hosting Ukrainian refugees, problems rarely arise. However, if individuals welcome refugees directly without consulting the community, difficulties arise more often.”
Rfi navigation account, 20 minutes 01/04/2022, 07:07| Act: 01.04.2022, 11:17 am