HEKS
HEKS stands for the Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz (the aid organisation of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland), is based in Zurich and has an office for French-speaking Switzerland in Lausanne. The French abbreviation is EPER (Entraide Protestante Suisse).
HEKS gives humanitarian and emergency aid and fights the causes of hunger, injustice and social deprivation. All people should be able to live a life of dignity and of safety in social, economic and political terms.
The aid organisation has five regional offices in Switzerland running 40 projects in total and is engaged in 290 projects in over 45 other countries. HEKS has its own coordination offices in 22 key countries.
Advocacy for Asylum seekers and socially disadvantaged people
Respect for human dignity is one of the guiding principles of the Swiss state and its political tradition. All people, regardless of their family background, language, religion, gender or social rank, have the right to be respected for their inherent dignity and to live a life free from discrimination.
Legal advice for asylum seekers
Asylum seekers often do not speak any of our national languages, are not familiar with the way we live and have no knowledge of our legal system. As such, they cannot always put into words the circumstances behind their plight, thus increasing the risk that they will be subject to a violation of their human rights. HEKS operates legal aid centres in various Swiss cities to ensure that refugees can paint a realistic picture of their situation. Asylum seekers are given legal advice in relation to their case and are helped to see things from a different perspective. HEKS will complain in cases where someone’s refugee status approval is up for discussion, in cases where there are procedural errors, or where an expulsion order is unreasonable. If an asylum seeker needs to appeal against a negative decision, support will be offered throughout the process until the final ruling.
Legal advice for socially disadvantaged people
Since 2007 HEKS has also been offering legal aid for people encountering difficulties in relation to social security law, social welfare benefit law, family law, the law relating to children and guardianship, tenancy law, and the law concerning foreigners. The aim is to equip socially disadvantaged and poverty-stricken people with the ability to grasp their legal situation and, whenever possible, to stand on their own two feet with regard to exercising their rights and appreciating their obligations.
Aid organisation representatives
Aid organisation representatives assume the role of an ombudsman or an overseer in that they are legally approved asylum procedure employees partially financed by the government who can be depended upon to ensure a conscientious review of the circumstances and the fair and unambiguous course of any questioning. They refer worthy asylum applicants to the relevant legal aid centre for support.
Statements in asylum and immigration law
HEKS observes the international trend in migratory movements and comments on asylum law and immigration law issues. Statements of particular importance are those made by HEKS on amendments to legislation, popular initiatives, and votes. HEKS campaigns on behalf of asylum seekers and refugees, being anxious to ensure that their need for protection is respected and that they are regarded and treated as people with equal rights.
Liaison office for human rights
The Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FSPC) has commissioned HEKS to run a liaison office for human rights and to manage the FSPC human rights fund. HEKS uses this centre as a point of advice and support for people whose human rights have been violated or who are at risk of suffering such acts of violation.
HEKS
Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz
Seminarstrasse 28
Post Office Box
8042 Zürich
