“Accommodation continues to be the number 1 concern”
Host families house 70 to 80% of refugees and shortness of breath awaits some. The Township is planning additional solutions for the long term.
Currently, 134 beds are occupied in the Palexpo structure. This is a “gateway” to accommodate refugees from Ukraine in the short term, before they are offered accommodation with a host family.
LAURENT GUIRAUD
Over the past ten days, the rate of arrival of exiles from Ukraine has slowed down a bit. While between 900 and a thousand people a day came to seek refuge in Switzerland in March and April, there are some 600 this month. Despite this slight drop in arrivals, in Geneva, accommodation continues to be the “number one concern”, recalls Christophe Girod, director general of the Hospice Général, on Friday during a press briefing. “We are counting more than ever on the fundamental contribution of host families, adds Thierry Apothéloz, State Councilor in charge of social cohesion. Without their help, Geneva would be in major difficulty and I would like to thank them.”