Asylum accommodation Kandersteg: Petition against planned center for 200 refugees

Asylum accommodation for up to 200 refugees is planned in Kandersteg in the canton of Bern. The accommodation, a former boarding school, is scheduled to be operational from the beginning of 2028 generally no more than 160 people be occupied at the same time.

The basis for this is a rental agreement with a term of ten years and the option to extend. However, there is great resistance to asylum accommodation in Kandersteg from the population and from the local council. There is even a petition circulating.

“We don’t want another Crans-Montana”

Fabian (27) and Nadine (28) Wyssen from Kandersteg launched the petition against the planned asylum accommodation almost four weeks ago. “The project is simply too big for our village and for the planned accommodation.” Local families were looking for housing. “And the canton is taking it away,” say the Wyssens. “We are convinced that the locals must be taken care of first and then the guests.”

The building is also too small for 200 people. “The boarding school was intended for around 60 people,” says Wyssen. The building had been uninhabited for at least ten years: “It is in a desolate and dilapidated condition and the canton has to invest millions.” It is not only in the event of a rockslide from the Spitze Stein that an evacuation within the deadline is hardly possible. In terms of fire protection, the house is also not designed for that many people: “We don’t want a second Crans-Montana.”

Of the 887 eligible voters, more than 300 have signed the petition so far. “The goal would be for at least half of the voting population to sign.” The petition runs until Friday.

“We can’t live with this number of people.”

René Maeder, president of the municipal council of Kandersteg and middle councilor of the canton of Bern, also signed the petition. “I support the community taking in asylum seekers – but that also has a limit,” he tells 20 Minutes. 200 people correspond to 12 percent of the resident population. “We can’t live with this number of people, it has to be drastically reduced,” he says.

There are other problems: “Kandersteg has too little affordable housing,” says Maeder. Various apartments would be converted into Airbnbs and the impending landslide of the Spitzes Stein would also limit the habitable area. “Such planned mass accommodation takes away living space from locals.”

This is what the canton of Bern says

The planned asylum center in Kandersteg is a collective accommodation for people who will remain in Switzerland. The key factor for the location is, first and foremost, suitable buildings to accommodate refugees. “Former hospitals, retirement homes or boarding schools are particularly suitable, as rental offers for a large, suitable property are very rare,” says Gundekar Giebel, spokesman for the Health, Social and Integration Directorate of the Canton of Bern.

Kandersteg is also well served by public transport – directly to Frutigen, Spiez and Thun. “In addition, other accommodations in the Bernese Oberland will have to be closed in the foreseeable future.”

Canton of Bern wants to bring parties to the round table

According to Giebel, Bern has a lot of experience with collective accommodation in a wide variety of communities and towns, including very small ones, with comparatively large accommodation. “The canton regularly holds round tables with all parties involved,” says Giebel. As a rule, the operation of the accommodation and the coexistence of the residents with the population run smoothly.

The petition will be presented to the community on Friday morning. In the evening of the same day there will be an information event about the planned collective accommodation in Kandersteg.

Fabienne Gnos (fgn), born in 2002, started her internship in the Bern department in February 2026.