Four organisations, UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein, UNHCR, Save the Children Switzerland and the Swiss Refugee Council (OSAR) have issued their first joint recommendations aimed at strengthening child protection and supporting healthy development in these settings. Currently, no national framework or minimum standards exist. Their recommendations, outlined in “The Child Seeking Protection in Collective Accommodation,” call on the Confederation, cantons, municipalities, and care organisations to establish systematic child-protection and quality standards. Suggested measures include allocating resources specifically for child protection, documenting and assessing the best interests of the child, creating opportunities for participation and requiring collective centers to develop their own protection concepts based on risk assessments. Each organisation emphasises:
- UNICEF urges binding standards and qualified staff with sufficient capacity to support children and involve them in age-appropriate ways.
- UNHCR stresses authorities’ responsibility to apply child-protection principles consistently and honor Switzerland’s international obligations, ensuring children’s voices are heard and parents supported.
- Save the Children calls for a fundamental mindset shift in the asylum system, placing children’s well-being systematically at the center.
- OSAR warns that children should not live in underground or unsuitable collective shelters.