Reach out to community
We work in direct contact with people affected by forced exile, conflict, or major crises. We provide humanitarian aid and emergency logistical support.
Our Action
On the field
When people are forced into exile or face a major crisis in their country, their physical integrity is at risk. We go to meet them and provide assistance. We believe in direct action. We put people at the center.
In Switzerland
We coordinate our operations internationally from Switzerland, but we also act within Switzerland itself by supporting the follow-up and integration of refugees living here. Because a person’s migratory journey can only be successful when it is addressed as a whole.
Missions & Values
Van For Life is a non-profit humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It operates independently of any political, ethnic, or religious influence. Recognized as serving the public interest in Switzerland, it acts as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in several countries.
The extreme vulnerability of populations forced into exile is at the heart of our concerns. Our mission is to provide immediate assistance to refugees trapped in critical situations, whether in their country of origin or at any stage of their journey. Van For Life prioritizes a direct, field-based approach in dialogue with people on the ground, in order to deliver aid adapted to each context and to optimize available resources.
Our interventions aim to preserve the dignity and physical integrity of individuals, as well as the respect of human rights. We remain true to our core principles: acting in direct contact with people, as quickly as possible, and in collaboration with local actors. Because the best response is always built first with those most directly concerned.
Migration Issues
A matter of human solidarity
The migration of people and its consequences have always been at the heart of societal debates. Regardless of its nature, exile inevitably constitutes a trauma for those affected. First, for those who have left everything behind and find themselves on the road, seeking a place of refuge; but exile is also a challenge for destination countries, whether they choose to show solidarity with those concerned or, on the contrary, resist in order to maintain a certain balance.
This is not about engaging in political, religious, or ethnic considerations, but simply keeping in mind that no individual would choose to leave their country of origin if they were not forced to do so. Beyond debates about the legitimacy of migration or the classification of certain types of migration, one constant remains: when people embark on the path of exile, they find themselves in a situation of extreme vulnerability. And that is the only thing that truly matters.
From a strictly human perspective, the primary concern is the level of assistance that should be provided to these vulnerable people. What can be done to alleviate the suffering of weakened individuals must be implemented; all other questions become secondary. It is the very nature of human beings, their inherent nobility, that comes into action.
Throughout history, men and women have mobilized to assist their fellow humans in danger. Current events show us that nothing has really changed: wars still exist, including those we thought impossible; economic crises echo them; ethnic and religious repressions persist; natural disasters occur with a frequency proportional to the climate disruptions we are witnessing—and are likely causing.
