What is the expected change in the centres for asylum seekers in Ticino starting from January?

From January, the assistance service in the federal centers for asylum seekers in Balerna (Pasture) and Chiasso (Via Motta) will move from AOZ, the Zurich organization connected to the City of Zurich, to ORs, a British private company of the Serco group. AOZ currently employs 120 people; ORs plans to hire no more than 80 employees, according to union estimates, potentially leaving 40 positions at risk.

What are the positions of VPOD Ticino and SEM regarding employment?

The VPOD Ticino union, through its co-secretary Edoardo Cappelletti, estimates that the transition will cause a loss of about 40 jobs and indicates that ORS would not be willing to resume the collective labour agreement applied by AOZ. On the contrary, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) stated that the change of supplier will not result in any reduction in personnel and that the choice of ORs was evaluated for 60% on quality and 40% on price.

What do workers and trade unions demand to ensure continuity of employment?

The staff meeting in Balerna asked to maintain the current employment of 120 employees, to entrust the SEM with the supervision of the handover and to involve the Ticino Government and the Deputation to the Chambers. The union also wants to preserve the current collective bargaining agreement, fearing that ORs will not take it back, and asks for equivalent guarantees on working conditions.

Ticino kindergarten: transition from AOZ to ORs raises employment concerns (cross-border guide)

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 27 September 2026

Asylum seeker assistance center in Balerna, Ticino, with modern buildings and green hills

From January AOZ leaves the centres of Balerna and Chiasso; ORS could hire up to 80 of the 120 employees, according to the unions – 40 positions at risk.

Context

In brief

From January, AOZ will leave the asylum seeker centers in Ticino
ORS might hire no more than 80 of the 120 employees
Unions estimate 40 fewer jobs
SEM: 60% quality, 40% price in ORS selection

Change: AOZ replaced by ORS
Locations: Pasture in Balerna and Via Motta in Chiasso
AOZ staff: 120 employees
Union estimate: no more than 80 hires
SEM criteria: 60% quality, 40% price

From January, in the federal asylum seeker centers in Ticino, assistance services will transition from AOZ to ORS. The change was decided at a national level by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), and in Ticino, the news is accompanied by VPOD's concern for employment and working conditions.

AOZ, the Zurich Asylum Organization, is an entity linked to the City on the Limmat. ORS, Organization for Refugee Services, is a private company belonging to a British multinational. The two acronyms therefore indicate providers with different structures and profiles, not just a change of name.

Today, AOZ employs 120 people in Ticino. The staff operates between the Pasture center in Balerna and the Via Motta center in Chiasso, which is currently closed due to a temporary decrease in migratory flows. According to union estimates, ORS would be ready to hire no more than 80 people. The hypothetical difference is 40 job positions.

Edoardo Cappelletti, co-secretary of VPOD Ticino, links the employment risk to ORS's willingness not to reabsorb the entire workforce. In his opinion, the transition could also affect the collective labor agreement (CCL): AOZ applies one based on that of the City of Zurich staff, while ORS would not be willing to take over the current agreement. For the union, the guarantees offered would not be equivalent.

The Confederation's position is different. Contacted by RSI, SEM guaranteed that 'the change of service provider does not entail any reduction of personnel.' It also explained that the choice of ORS was evaluated 60% on quality and 40% on price.

The discussion has also moved to the institutional level. A staff assembly met in Balerna with the unions to define their demands. The central request is to maintain current employment and entrust SEM with the supervision of the handover. Cappelletti also called upon the Ticino Government and the Parliamentary Delegation. For those following professional opportunities in the region, the editorial reference remains the job announcements page, separate from official communications on the service provider change.

Operational details

...

Useful tools to protect your net income

To reduce FX leakage, compare CHF-EUR exchange options and banks for cross-border workers.

Key points

Following the Transition

The source does not indicate forms, individual deadlines, or documents to be submitted. The concrete actions that can be derived are therefore those already defined by the staff and unions, along with the requests addressed to the institutions. A more detailed path would not be supported by the original text.

1. Identifying the Scope

The change concerns the assistance service in federal asylum seeker centers in Ticino. For the staff, the reference points are the Pasture center in Balerna and the Via Motta center in Chiasso, which the source describes as temporarily closed due to a decrease in migration flows. This allows distinguishing the site affected by the mandate from the current operational situation of the individual center.

2. Following the Union Negotiations

The staff assembly met in Balerna with the unions on Friday afternoon to define their demands. The key point to follow is the maintenance of employment as it is today. Alongside the number of employees, the fate of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) must be observed: AOZ applies a contract based on that of the City of Zurich staff, while VPOD reports that ORS would not be willing to adopt it.

3. Requesting Oversight of the Transition

The union's stated request is for the SEM (State Secretariat for Migration) to supervise the handover to guarantee employment. In the same discussion, the Ticino Government and the Cantonal Parliament Delegation were called upon. These are, according to the source, the institutional bodies to be involved; no other offices or procedures are indicated.

4. Keeping Available Timelines Separate

The text indicates the change of operator from January and the arrival of Gaby Szöllösy as head of ORS operations from October 1st. It does not provide the exact day of the handover in the centers nor a deadline for individual positions. The designated director was the general secretary of the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Social Works and, previously, headed communications at SEM, the same federal office that currently awards mandates.

To complete a personal salary check, use the salary calculator.

Source: rsi.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the expected change in the centres for asylum seekers in Ticino starting from January?: From January, the assistance service in the federal centers for asylum seekers in Balerna (Pasture) and Chiasso (Via Motta) will move from AOZ, the Zurich organization connected to the City of Zurich, to ORs, a British private company of the Serco group. AOZ currently employs 120 people; ORs plans to hire no more than 80 employees, according to union estimates, potentially leaving 40 positions at risk.
What are the positions of VPOD Ticino and SEM regarding employment?: The VPOD Ticino union, through its co-secretary Edoardo Cappelletti, estimates that the transition will cause a loss of about 40 jobs and indicates that ORS would not be willing to resume the collective labour agreement applied by AOZ. On the contrary, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) stated that the change of supplier will not result in any reduction in personnel and that the choice of ORs was evaluated for 60% on quality and 40% on price.
What do workers and trade unions demand to ensure continuity of employment?: The staff meeting in Balerna asked to maintain the current employment of 120 employees, to entrust the SEM with the supervision of the handover and to involve the Ticino Government and the Deputation to the Chambers. The union also wants to preserve the current collective bargaining agreement, fearing that ORs will not take it back, and asks for equivalent guarantees on working conditions.