Update: 07.06.2017
Address list for counselling on human rights issues
Legal advice / Search for legal assistance
- In many municipalities cantonal lawyer's organisations offer free legal advice
- Search engine of the Swiss Attorneys Association
- Homepage of the Democratic Jurists of Switzerland (search engine)
- Legal advice service Anwaltskollektiv Zurich (billable but low-priced)
- Legal advice service GSR in French-speaking Switzerland
- Legal advice service LAVI for victims in French-speaking Switzerland
Ombuds offices
- Some cities (Bern, Rapperswil-Jona, St. Gallen, Winterthur, Zurich) and cantons (BL, BS, VD, ZG, ZH) offer parliamentary ombuds offices (address list)
- In some sectors (such as private insurance, health insurance, banks, travel and hotel industry, telecommunications industry, public transport) there exist ombuds offices under private law (address list)
Emergency situations / Socially disadvantaged people
- Dargebotene Hand - Support helpline Tel 143
- Cantonal victims’counselling centres (address list)
- Independent counselling service for social welfare law: Tel 043 54050 41 (Mon/Tue), Email
- Caritas social counselling
- HEKS Legal Advice Office for socially disadvantaged people in various cantons: Tel 062 836 30 20, Email
- Bern legal advice centre for people in need: Tel 031 385 18 20 (Mon-Thurs, 9.00-12.00), Email
- Canton of St. Gallen Social Office: Address list for emergency situations
- Swiss Red Cross, Canton of Zurich: SOS counselling
Pre-trial detention / Penal system / Social reintegration
- Humanrights.ch - Counselling Services for Prisoners and their Families; Tel 031 301 92 75, Email
- Salvation Army prisoners' support service; Tel 031 388 05 91
- Reform 91 (support group for prisoners' rights); Tel 052 657 52 25, Email
- Verein Neustart (probation and financial reorganisation support in the Basel region); Tel 061 281 37 00, Email
- Probation assistance of the Canton of Zurich – Social counselling in prison
- Carrefour Prison, Tel 0800 233 233
- Fep – Centre de compétence pour la formation dans l’exécution des peines (FEP): Tel 041 240 78 68
Criminal defense emergency service
- St. Gallen/Appenzell criminal defense emergency service (address list)
- Bern criminal defense emergency service: Tel 034 423 11 89
- Basel criminal defense emergency service: Tel 061 272 02 02, Email
- Zurich criminal defense emergency service: Tel. 044 201 00 10 (24-hour hotline)
Police violence
- Amnesty International Switzerland: Tel. 031 307 22 22
- Verein augenauf Basel, Tel. 061 681 55 22, Email
- Verein augenauf Bern, Tel. 031 332 02 35 (Mon 16.00-20.00), Email
- Verein augenauf Zurich, Tel. 044 241 11 77, Email
Children and youths
- Lawyers' network for children and youths - representation and counselling in legal matters: Tel 052 262 70 53 (Mon –Thurs, 9.00-12.00/14.00-16.00), Email
- Swiss Foundation for the Protection of Children: Tel. 031 384 29 28, Email
- Pro Juventute counselling + Help 147 for children and youths: Tel./SMS 147
- Children’s lobby Switzerland – Legal counselling for children,: Tel 031 889 09 09, Email
- Swiss Foundation of the International Social Service SSI: Zurich office, Tel, 044 366 44 77, SSI crossborder services
Women
- List of all federal, cantonal and communal offices for the equality of women (address list)
- Counselling institutions in the field of gender equality (address list)
- List of women’s shelters in Switzerland (address list)
- Forced marriage helpline Zwangsheirat.ch: Tel 021 540 00 00, Email
- Links to homepages on violence, sexism, forced marriage/genital mutilation (list)
- Network of advisory services for women-related topics in Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchatel and the Canton of Valais prepared by l’émilie
- SOS femmes, Geneva – Help with social and professional problems: Tel 022 311 22 22
Men
- Counselling institutions for male issues and male violence (address list)
- Männerbüros (counselling offices for men) in Switzerland (address list)
- Men's shelter "Zwüschehalt"
- Victims counselling centre in Zurich for boys and men exposed to violence: Tel 079 627 79 77, Email
Homosexuals and transsexuals
- Working groups and networks for homosexuals (address list)
- Queeramnesty – Amnesty International for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people
- Legal counselling for gay men
- RainbowLine – reporting office for homophobic violence: Tel 0848 80 50 80
- Hetera/Hetero – aid for straight partners of gay men/women: Tel 044 941 71 00, Email
- Counselling centre Transgender Network Switzerland TGNS: Email
- Lilaphon: Information and counselling for lesbian and bisexual women (Canton of Lucerne): Tel 041 360 30 26 (Tue 18.00-20.00), Email
- GayMigs – Gay migrants in Switzerland (Canton of Zurich): Tel 044 271 22 50, Email
Racial discrimination
- Federal Commission against Racism FCR: Tel 031 324 12 93, Email (in German)
- Counselling network for victims of racism (address list of counselling institutions)
- FDHA address list of official advisory centres for victims of racial discrimination (in German)
- OSEO Fribourg – Counselling on racist issues: 026 347 15 77
- Bureau de l'intégration des étrangers (Canton of Geneva)
- Service de la cohésion multiculturelle (Canton of Neuchatel)
- Bureau lausannois pour les immigrés (Canton of Vaud)
Migrants / Human trafficking
- Swiss Conference of Offices for Integration (address list according to cantons)
- Migraweb – Online counselling for migrants living in Switzerland
- TiKK – Competence Centre for Intercultural Conflicts: Tel 044 291 65 75, Email
- Counselling centres for bi-national and intercultural couples and families in Switzerland (address list)
- Platform Migrant Children – Information platform on the rights of migrant children: Tel 022 731 67 00
- isa - Information office for foreigners' affairs (Canton of Bern): Tel 031 310 12 70, Email
- FABIA - Competence centre for the counselling and integration of foreign nationals (Canton of Lucerne): Tel 041 360 07 22, Email
- Advocacy and support for migrant women and victims of trafficking (Canton of Zurich): Tel 044 436 90 00, Email
Refugees / Asylum / Deportation
- HEKS - Legal advisory services for asylum seekers (cantons of Aargau, Solothurn, Basel, St. Gallen, Vaud and Zurich)
- HEKS – Legal advice for asylum seekers
- Swiss Refugee Council: Tel 031 370 75 75 (Tue/Thurs 14.00-17.00)
- Salvation Army helpdesk: Tel 031 380 18 80
- Support for torture victims – Counselling for victims of torture and war
- Counselling office for asylum seekers (Canton of Zurich): Tel 044 454 60 30
- Freiplatzaktion Zürich – Legal aid on asylum and migration matters (Canton of Zurich): Tel 044 241 54 11
- Return counselling Swiss Red Cross (Canton of Bern): Tel 031 919 09 06
- Swiss Advocacy Center for Migrants’ Rights (SCMR): 022 807 07 00
- Solidarité sans frontières, Tel 031 311 07 70
- Support for torture victims, 022 372 53 28
- Centre social protestant (CSP) Geneva, Tel 022 807 07 00, free counselling without prior appointment (Tue/Thurs 14.00-17.00)
- Caritas Geneva, Tel 022 708 04 44, free counselling without prior appointment (Mon 10.00-12.30)
- Legal aid and advice for migrants in the Canton of Geneva (address list), (pdf, 15 pages in French)
- Centre social protestant (CSP) Lausanne, Tel 021 351 25 51
- SOS Ticino legal aid for asylum seekers, Tel 091 923 17 86
Undocumented migrants
- Contact points for undocumented migrants in Switzerland (address list)
- HEKS Spagat – Sans papiers contact centre (Canton of Aargau/Canton of Solothurn): Tel 062 836 30 20
Persons with disabilities and mental illnesses
- Contact point Egalité Handicap - free advice concerning the equal legal treatment of persons with disabilities: Tel 031 398 50 34, Email
- Centre for autonomous life (Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben) – Counselling: Tel 044 272 80 00, Email
- Pro Mente Sana - Counselling for mentally impaired persons: Tel 0848 800 858
- Psychex – In case of problems with the psychiatric services: Tel 044 818 08 70
- Self-help, contact points and parents’ associations (address list)
- AGILE – Umbrella organisation of all self-help organisations related to disability: Tel 031 390 39 39
- Insieme – For the protection of human rights of mentally challenged persons: Tel 031 300 50 20, Email
- Ombudsman’s office for persons with disabilities (Canton of Aargau): Tel 062 823 11 66
Discrimination related to old age
- UBA – Independent appeal body for problems related to old age: Tel 058 450 60 60
- Senile dementia hotline of the Sonnweid Foundation: 044 931 59 32
- VASOS - Association of active senior citizens and self-help organisations in Switzerland (list of organisations): Tel 076 563 60 90, Email
Miscellaneous
Internet-related crime
Conscientious objection to military service
- verein zivildienst.ch, contact point for conscientious objection and community service: Tel 044 450 37 37, Email
Mobbing
- Contact points and counselling services in case of mobbing (address list)
- Helpdesk for mobbing prevention for men and women (M.E.B.); Tel. 044 261 49 77
Problems abroad
- FDFA 24-hour helpline for Swiss nationals abroad: Tel 0041 800 247 365, Email
- Address list of Swiss diplomatic representations
