What’s UNHCR’s role in Switzerland and Liechtenstein?
The Government of Liechtenstein is responsible for the protection of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons in its territory.
In Liechtenstein, the Office for Migration and Passports (Ausländer- und Passamt) is responsible for processing asylum claims and deciding whether somebody is granted asylum or an alternative form of protection in Liechtenstein.
UNHCR supports the Government in maintaining an asylum system which complies with international standards, and it advocates for the rights of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons.
UNHCR has a country office for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which is located in Bern, Switzerland. However, the office is not involved in the asylum procedure of either country. It does not intervene in individual cases or offer individual counselling.
Asylum-seekers in Liechtenstein are supported by a legal adviser during the asylum procedure. This service is free of charge. For further information on legal counselling, please see here: Legal counselling – UNHCR Liechtenstein.
For more information about UNHCR in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, please visit this website: Liechtenstein | UNHCR.
You can also contact us via e-mail at [email protected]. Please note that individual queries for assistance sent to this email address will generally not be responded to.
If you need assistance with a personal situation, you may contact UNHCR via the Regional Contact Centre at the toll-free number 800110165 OR
The hotline is available from Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and can be called only from within Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
If you are currently located in Switzerland, please visit: UNHCR Switzerland – Help for refugees and asylum-seekers.
‼️Neither UNHCR, the Migration and Passport Office, nor the legal counsellor take money for any services. Their help is always free of charge. You should not be asked, at any point, to pay for any of the services provided.
Data protection and privacy notice
The UNHCR Office for Switzerland and Liechtenstein does not collect or process personal data of forcibly displaced and stateless people unless it is for a legitimate specific purpose and when we have a legitimate basis to do so in line with UNHCR’s data protection policies.
To find out more about when the UNHCR Office for Switzerland and Liechtenstein may exceptionally collect or process your personal data, as well as about the rights that you have in relation to this data, please consult our full data protection and privacy notice.
