Are you under 18 and had to leave your home country?
Have you just arrived in Switzerland?
On this page, you will find information that is explained in a way that is easy for children to understand. This information can help you answer some of your questions.
- I had to flee and want to stay in Switzerland. What do I have to do?
- If you want to stay in Switzerland as a refugee child, you must apply for “asylum”. You should do this as soon as possible. This way, Switzerland can support you.
IMPORTANT : If you have fled from Ukraine, you should go to the Federal Asylum Centre in Bern.
If you arrive in Switzerland by plane, you can ask for asylum directly at the airport (Geneva or Zurich). Ask a person who works at the airport.
If you are already in Switzerland, you should go to one of the six federal asylum centres (= FAC).
- FAC in German is called Bundesasylzentrum (= BAZ).
- In French, it is called Centre fédéral d’asile (= CFA).
- In Italian, it is called Centro federale d’asilo (= CFA).
- CFA Boudry:
- Address: Rue de l’Hôpital 60, 2017 Boudry
- Telephone number: 0041 58 465 03 03
- BAZ Bern:
- Address: Morillonstrasse 75, 3007 Bern
- Telephone number: 0041 58 461 44 20
- BAZ Basel:
- Address: Freiburgerstrasse 50, 4057 Basel
- Telephone number: 0041 58 482 12 82
- CFA Chiasso:
- Address: Via Milano 23, 6830 Chiasso
- Telephone number: 0041 58 466 70 10
- BAZ Altstätten:
- Address: Bleichemühlistrasse 6, 9450 Altstätten
- Telephone number: 0041 58 480 49 50
- BAZ Zurich:
- Address: Duttweilerstrasse 11, 8005 Zürich
- Telephone number: 0041 58 480 14 80
- If you have a problem finding the FAC, you can call them.
- If you are in Geneva, you can also go to an office called “Service de protection des mineurs (SPMi)“. This office is responsible for anyone under the age of 18. They will give you a train ticket. You can use it to travel to the CFA Boudry.
- SPMi address: Rte des Jeunes 1E, 1227 Les Acacias
- The office is open in the morning from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. During lunch time, it is closed. In the afternoon, it is open from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.
How do I take the train?
After you buy a train ticket, you can check here when the trains depart. On that website, you enter where you are (= From) and where you want to go (= To).
Example:
When the train departs → When you arrive at your destination
- → Direction = last stop of the train
- Pl. = Platform
This number tells you where your train will be at the station.
You should look for a sign like this one with the platform number you saw on the website. This is where you will get on the train.
Where can I sleep, eat and shower?
In a federal asylum centre (= FAC) you will be given a place to sleep, food and drink. If you scroll to the top of this page, you can see how to get to an FAC.
Someone has done something to me that made me uncomfortable, or I have lost important things.
You can call the police. Here in Switzerland, the police are responsible for protecting you. The police officers can help you with your problem.
To call the police, enter 
117 on a telephone and press the call button 
.
I feel ill. What can I do?
- Is it an emergency?
Please call an ambulance 
as soon as possible! You can enter 144 on any phone and press the call button .
- Is it not an emergency?
In a federal asylum centre: You can go to the Medic-Help. They will listen to you and, if necessary, send you to a doctor.
In the cantonal centres: You can say that you would like to speak to a “person responsible for health”.
Where can I get Internet access?
At the major train stations and some supermarkets, you can register with an SMS code to get Wi-Fi access in those locations. You will need a cell phone with a SIM card.
In a federal asylum centre or cantonal centre: You can ask for Internet access.
Are you sad, angry or lonely? Or do you simply not feel well?
Are you afraid because you don’t know if you can stay in Switzerland? Has someone treated you badly? Do you want to tell someone about it?
If you are in a federal asylum centre (= FAC), you can go to a doctor there. You can talk about your problems and say that you need help. They will see if it would be good to talk to a psychologist. Psychologists know a lot about different feelings. They can give you tips and are also happy to listen to you.
You can also call the organization “Pro Juventute” by dialling 147.
Or write to them on WhatsApp (0041 800 147 000). Pro Juventute only works for children and young people.
Who can help me?
After you have asked for asylum, you will receive a legal representative. Your legal representative is a person who has studied law and knows the laws and the asylum procedure in Switzerland. This person will support you throughout the entire process. You do not have to pay anything for this. It is completely free of charge.
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You can also contact the Kinderombudsstelle (Children’s Ombuds Office. They can answer your questions and explain many things to you. Their help is free and confidential. This means that other people will not find out about the conversation if you don’t want them to.
For example, you could ask the Children’s Ombuds Office: What am I allowed to do here in Switzerland? What am I not allowed to do? How should adults treat me? If I need any help, who do I contact?
Telephone number: 0041 52 260 15 55 (they are open Monday to Friday, from 8:00 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening)
Email address: [email protected]
Do you want to talk to other children or do something together with them?
We have created a list of suggestions. This list includes activities such as “meet new people”, games and homework help. You can find the list at the bottom of this page.
Are you searching for someone from your family?
During the asylum process, you can ask your legal representative. The legal representative is also known as a “person of trust”. That person will tell you what you can do. The Swiss Red Cross 
can help you find missing people.
Activities in all of Switzerland
- https://www.ssi-suisse.org/intervention/index.php?page=form
- Adresses utiles | Plateforme Enfants Migrants (enfants-migrants.ch)
- https://caritas-regio.ch/angebote/arbeit/lehrstellen
Cantonal activities