“Pfasyl” in Basel – Scout for children on the run – News

At the Basel Federal Asylum Center, scouts offer children a carefree afternoon. Nevertheless, caution is advised.

“First we have to collect wood, then we’ll make a fire and fry our chocolate bananas” – scout leader Nora Bisang explains the schedule of the afternoon to 20 children, and some parents also listen attentively.

Then it starts and the group, together with the six voluntary leaders, moves in the direction of “Lange Erlen”, a local recreation area with a forest near Basel.

Let off steam in the forest, play, dam streams or go to the swimming pool – youth organizations such as Jungschi or Scouts offer children and young people a change. Children of asylum seekers should also benefit from this, which is why young path leaders come to the Federal Asylum Center Bässlergut (BAZ) once a month and pick up children to spend an afternoon with them. The offer has been available in Basel since this summer, in Bern and Lucerne for a long time.

Legend:

The first games are played in a forest clearing.

SRF

In the “Lange Erle” the initial reluctance of children and parents will soon disappear on this afternoon. While the children play “fangis”, run around and laugh, the parents sit on a blanket and watch the hustle and bustle. This is the goal, explains Nora Bisang. “The families live together in a small space and have the need to exercise in the great outdoors. We can offer them a carefree afternoon here.”

It is not always easy for the leaders and children or parents to understand each other, but it is possible with French, English and hands and feet. “Maybe a game doesn’t work quite as expected. But as long as the children are laughing, that’s great,” says Bisang.

Legend:

The management team of “Pfasyl” with Nora Bisang in the middle below.

SRF

The new offer is not only well received by the children and parents, but also by those responsible for the Federal Asylum Center. Activities are also offered in the asylum center. “But we can’t offer this scout spirit,” says Zoe Rodgers, who is responsible for activities at the BAZ. The forest offers even more possibilities. “It’s really nice for the kids.”

There will be no bursting balloons

Rogers emphasizes that there are no guidelines as to how the scout afternoon should be structured, also with regard to the sometimes traumatic experiences of the children on the run. “Of course they are children with a different background, but in the end they are just children who should be taken for what they are.”

Nora Bisang adds that the topic is always being discussed – for example in the balloon game, in which you have to trample on someone else’s balloon that is tied to their foot. The bang of the bursting balloon could bring back bad memories of the war in children. “If you consider that there are children who have heard such noises all night, we try to avoid such games.”

Legend:

With «Pfasyl» you can forget the mostly gray everyday life in the asylum accommodation.

SRF

Just be a child – that’s what the 20 neo-scouts were able to do this afternoon in the “Lange Erle”. After making a fire, playing and frying chocolate bananas, it ends at 5 p.m. and the children return to their everyday life in the federal asylum center. There they are already looking forward to the next “Pfasyl” afternoon. This will take place again in a month.

More «Pfasyl» soon?

However, Nora Bisang hopes that the offer can be further expanded and that the children from the Bässlergut federal asylum center will be able to go into the forest twice a month in the future or escape their otherwise rather dreary everyday life there.