heks

Every year more than 10,000 people apply for asylum in Switzerland. In order to be accepted they have to face an interview with the Federal Office for Migration and be able to give a credible account of their reasons for seeking refuge.
 
These people often have no proof that they are being persecuted in their own countries. Credibility is the key factor when it comes to making an asylum decision, therefore representatives of a public social aid scheme get involved as impartial observers with a view to advocating fair questioning processes. Their presence is a means of ensuring that the procedure is run properly and that the asylum seekers are supported.

HEKS is responsible for coordinating the representation work in the west of Switzerland. Some 50 employees are available to take on this role in French-speaking Switzerland. HEKS organises the representation work and provides training about the countries of origin of the asylum seekers. The people responsible for the coordination get in contact with the asylum seekers after the interview and offer them individual advice.