Moroccan Immigrant’s Journey: From Homelessness to Hotel Shelter in Geneva

When she left Morocco for Geneva, Hafida dreamed of living better. Families of diplomats in Geneva, mostly Arabs, employ her, reports Le Temps. Her tasks: cleaning, cooking, babysitting. Over the years, she unfortunately finds herself on the street. Luck seems to be smiling on her during this confinement period. After Bern decreed confinement, the Bel’Espérance hotel offered to accommodate the homeless. Thus, about twenty homeless women and about ten unaccompanied minors are housed there. Since March 23, the Moroccan woman now has a roof over her head.

In this three-star hotel, they are all housed in comfortable rooms, with a television and bathroom and wifi. Restaurateurs and caterers deliver them meals at noon and in the evening. "Above all, we don’t have to leave in the morning; we can stay here all day," says Hafida.

There, she says she feels safe. This native of Oujda is delighted to finally have a little dignity, a little privacy and no longer run the risk of coronavirus contamination "because there is a lot of space and few people".