New Geneva centre to help expats integrate
Following a demand by private sector firms in Geneva, a new centre to help expat professionals integrate opens this week. It is not a relocation service, but attempts to orient people towards useful services or companies, and help them with questions on housing, tourism, sports facilities and even pets. A website also provides information for new arrivals.
GE Info is a new welcome centre providing information in English for expats arriving or living in Geneva and working in the private sector. Help is also provided to firms wishing to recruit from abroad and who need help to assist their new employees to settle in Geneva.
The centre offers guidance for the canton’s 15,000 foreign workers by phone, email or directly at the information desk located at the Geneva Chamber of Commerce (CCIG) building on Boulevard du Theâtre, near Plainpalais.
One staff member will man the desk and give assistance on subjects including residence permits, housing, vehicle registration, employment and pets. The idea is not to serve as a relocation service, but to send people to the right address, according to François Naef, president of the CCIG, one of GE Info’s sponsors.
In Geneva, a welcome centre already exists for settement issues encountered by the 40,000 people working for international organisations, but Naef told Swisster that increasing demand from the private sector has prompted creation of the new enterprise.
“Many large firms already have an internal section that deals with new arrivals’ integration, but they are still interested in us because we will be able to provide the latest information, thanks to our network,” he told Swisster.
He added that the centre is also useful for smaller companies that do not have any facilities to help their expat employees to integrate.
The project is financed by eight partners that include Geneva Airport, the Geneva tourist office and the Groupement des Entreprises Multinationales (GEM) which assembles cantonal human resource chiefs once a month. All are expected to contribute expertise and knowledge about the canton and open up their networks to the centre.
GEM president Anick Héritier told Swisster that the help desk is also aimed at spouses. “We will also provide information on babysitters, doctors, which is added value and will make your life easier,” she said.
GEM is in the process of distributing GE Info flyers to 70 multinationals in Geneva as well as smaller private firms.
“It is in our interest to welcome foreigners to Geneva and make them feel welcome and not rejected,” said Naef.
