Amina has to go back

After 18 months in Switzerland, Amina speaks German so well that she doesn't hesitate to give information over the phone. She is not doing so well, she says. Because she has to go back to Ukraine. But she is also looking forward to it. She is looking forward to seeing her sister again - and hopefully some of her friends too. Amina is hopeful, even if the 14-year-old schoolgirl and her mother cannot return to their home region. That is too dangerous for those who have tried to flee. Amina will probably also have to repeat a year at school. «I hope I can continue learning German in Ukraine,» she says.

It was a Wednesday when the letter arrived that Amina and her mother Tania's asylum application had been rejected. The Office for Migration in Lucerne does not give the press any information about the reasons why the asylum application was rejected. Just two days later was Amina's last day at school, she spoke in front of the class about having to return and received small gifts from her classmates. Then she and her mother had to quickly leave their flat and move into an emergency centre, as a friend of the family reports. However, there is no longer any care there for rejected asylum seekers and living on 8 francs a day is very hard. The family friend therefore helped Amina and her mother find private accommodation - for their last few days in Switzerland.

Amina only joined the mainstream school in December 2015. In April, we reported on how she initially struggled to make friends and how hard the teachers tried to integrate Amina. Before she came to school in Grosswangen, Amina spent about a year learning German and some basic subjects at the school in the Lucerne asylum centre. «Amina is one of those who took full advantage of her opportunity - she really got stuck in,» reports headteacher Urs Camenzind. Nevertheless, it was never certain that the asylum application would be accepted - as Ukraine is not a classic country of origin for people who are granted asylum in Switzerland.

The fact that Amina and her mother nevertheless sought protection was primarily due to the region they come from: Amina's home town of Donetsk was taken by the Russians, and the family home and her mother's travel agency were destroyed. Her mother and Amina first fled within Ukraine. «But if you come from Donetsk, you're not welcome anywhere - our car was scratched in other cities and I couldn't find a job,» recalls the mother. When the opportunity arose to move to the west with a bus full of refugees, they seized it.

«We are incredibly grateful and have fond memories of the country.»

Tania, Amina's mother.

Now Tania and Amina will have to face the challenges in Ukraine again. According to Tania, they cannot expect any help from their home country as returnees - but the Swiss migration office has promised her help with her return. For the first few days, the two will probably stay with Amina's sister in Kiev, but from there they will look for their own flat as quickly as possible and, above all, a job for their mother. Tania's disappointment is mixed with gratitude: «We met so many good people in Switzerland who were hospitable and helpful. We are incredibly grateful for that and have fond memories of the country.»

Read more:

• Report on Amina's time at school in Grosswangen
• Report on the school in the Lucerne asylum centre, where newly arrived refugees are prepared for regular schooling