Accompanied by their Ukrainian carers, the children were waiting at Kraków airport in Poland. They had arrived the previous day from Lviv in southern Ukraine, where they had been housed temporarily. The journey of more than ten hours had been hard on the little ones, aged between just a few months and under six years’ old. Some were orphans, but others were minors in care, whose parents could no longer look after them.

Setting up the evacuation was no easy task. It took weeks of organisation, the tireless efforts of volunteers and the involvement of federal and cantonal authorities to ensure that the mission went smoothly. While the transport was financed through the generosity of patrons, the operation itself was carried out at the request of the Ukrainian government, relayed by the Ukrainian embassy in Bern to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). We were responsible for coordinating with the competent authorities to ensure that the children's entry into Switzerland and their settlement in the canton of Vaud were all above board. As such, we were able to be involved in this mission to ensure that the project supported by this collective effort was carried out successfully.

A day full of emotion

In the early afternoon of that day, the Swiss Airbus specially chartered for the occasion took off from Geneva Cointrin. On board the charter flight were around thirty passengers including representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which had organised the flight, a dozen young carers responsible for supervising the children during their stay in the canton of Vaud, and a representative from the canton's child protection service. They were all eager to meet the children, and their joy and nervousness were palpable.

At Kraków airport, the two hours allotted to collect the children, clear security and board the plane before take-off pass in a blur. All the adults are busy looking after them and providing reassurance. Despite the joyful chaos, punctuated by a few screams, the trip goes smoothly. The sandwiches and chocolate biscuits go down a treat (although we share a thought for the cleaning team that had to clean up after us). The plane touched down on the Geneva tarmac on time, where a bus was waiting to take the children to their final destination.

Here they are, at last, in the peace and quiet of the Vaud countryside. In just a few weeks, the canton has succeeded in transforming a former old people’s home into a place suitable for children with age-appropriate playrooms and furniture. They still need to be fed and put to bed. Overwhelmed by tiredness and emotions, some cry and are reluctant to leave the caring arms of those who cradle them. For the time being, they have found a refuge. How long will they stay? Unfortunately, no one can say.

Author: Anne Césard