From collective centres to private accommodation: housing trajectories of asylum migrants in Switzerland

Author(s) : Julie Lacroix, Anne-Laure Bertrand

Source : https://www.unine.ch/files/live/sites/maps/files/shared/documents/wp/WP_EN_1_2023_Lacroix_Bertrand%20-%20Copie.pdf

Abstract:

“The housing situation of refugees and asylum seekers has recently attracted political
attention due to the shortage of appropriate accommodation and the increased use of
underground bunkers as a temporary solution. Asylum migrants encounter many
obstacles in accessing the private sector of the housing market; thus, local authorities
play an active role in shaping opportunities for social inclusion. Using the Swiss
population register (2012-2019) for complete cohorts of asylum migrants, this study
analyses the transitions from collective (communal) centres to private housing from the
deposition of an asylum claim and during the first eight years in the country. Cox models
for interval-censored data show the association between individual and contextual
factors and the speed of access to private housing. Despite the quasi-autonomous
management of refugee housing by region (cantons), priority rules regarding access to
private housing were found to apply across the country. When choosing between
different profiles, women, older asylum migrants, married individuals, and members of
larger national groups are favoured in obtaining access to private housing. Nevertheless,
the time spent in collective centres largely depends on the region to which a claimant is
assigned, pointing to the minimal agency asylum migrants have during their first years
of residence. Focusing on the early stages of the residential trajectory of asylum migrants
this study provides insights into the logistics of housing attribution and different rationales
governing these procedures.”