Asylum seekers
As of 1 July, Muslim residents will be offered spiritual assistance at the federal centre for the reception of asylum seekers in Zurich. The pilot initiative was launched by the Swiss Confederation State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in cooperation with the national Catholic and Reformed Churches and with the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (FSCI). The Zurich-based Association of Islamic Organisations (VIOZ) is responsible for the project. The aim of this experiment, which will last one year, is “to explore the possibilities and usefulness of introducing spiritual assistance aimed at Muslims in all federal asylum centres”, a statement from the Swiss Confederation reads, according to which three Muslim spiritual assistants have been hired by the SEM, two men and one woman. From 2002, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FEPS), the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (CVS), the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland (CCCS) and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (FSCI) have been providing spiritual assistance in these centres, but it has long been wondered “whether and how spiritual assistance might be offered to Muslims”, the statement explains. The first pilot project was launched in autumn 2013 at the Centre in Chiasso. Given the success of that experience, this new initiative has been launched which will be assessed in one year by the Swiss Centre for Islam and Society of the University of Fribourg.
