ORS Annual Report 2022

ORS
ANNUAL REPORT
2022
Neutral, flexible, mindful.
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2
FLEXIBLE

MINDFUL
NEUTRAL
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4

C O N T E N T S
EDITORIAL:
FLEXIBILITY IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES
FACTS AND FIGURES
ORS SWITZERLAND
Milestones
Giordana Biaggio Lazzeri profile
Roger Hasler profile
ORS GERMANY
Milestones
Antje-Hellen Nekhili profile
Martin Kinzel profile
ORS ITALY
Milestones
Miriam Arensi profile
ORS AUSTRIA
Milestones
Lisa Buhne profile
ORS A SERCO COMPANY
Anniversary – 30 years of ORS
Melanie Schnetzer profile
Fraser Moore profile
Annual result
ORS Advisory Board – Erwin Jutzet profile
Further training
Glossary
Imprint
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Dear readers,
There are ordinary and extraordinary
times, and sometimes there are times
of crisis. Triggered by the war in
Ukraine, we are currently, without a
doubt, experiencing this type of crisis.
Migration policy is also being put to
the test.
Flexible help for refugees is key
In times of crisis and emergency, it is
crucial that we help: immediately,
without red tape and with flexibility.
ORS employees play a large part in
ensuring that Switzerland, Germany,
Austria and Italy have coped with and
will continue to cope with the largest
refugee crisis since the Second World
War.
ORS is a systemically relevant
partner
Switzerland alone has recorded almost
85,000 refugees from Ukraine and
over 30,000 asylum seekers from other
areas from 2022 to the end of March
2023. ORS has supported a large
number of these. The influx has been
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E D I T O R I A L
a monumental challenge for the authorities
and other organisations.
ORS employed over 1,000 new staff
during the crisis. We have become a
systemically relevant partner for the
government.
As we have stated, our aim is to expect
the highest standards from ourselves
and from the quality of the services
when performing support work. As
the only private company in the immigration
sector, the highest standards
are a given, even under difficult
circumstances.
That is why ORS is investing heavily
in training staff. Even the media has
recognised that we have high quality
standards for our daily work. If the
media publishes criticism, it is often
ideologically motivated, or it is, in
essence, criticism aimed at the rules
of the asylum system created by
politicians.
global service provider Serco has given
us an owner with a strategic focus. I am
looking forward to further developing
our business operations in Europe.
The past business year was also shaped
by a significant high point: in September,
we celebrated 30 years of ORS!
The magnificent party with the entire
ORS family was a unique experience
for me and for the entire team!
I hope you enjoy reading our annual
report.
Best wishes
Jürg Rötheli
CEO ORS Group
A new chapter in ORS’s story
The 2022 business year is the starting
point of a new chapter in our
successful story. The takeover by
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F A C T S &
Operates in 4 countries | 2 nat ional o
fices | 1 EU liaison o
4
Countries
fice
Head office & nat
CH Zurich
DE Freiburg
AT Vienna
IT Rome
BE Brussels
ES Madrid
GR Athens
ional offices
CH 95+ | DE 17 |
IT 5 | AT 5
44 %
120 +
Mandates
Support facilities
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F I G U R E S
CH 1,500+ | DE 700+ |
IT 70+ | AT 30+
2,300 +
Staff
63 %
95 %
CH 16,000+ | DE 10,000+ | IT 900+ | AT 300+
28,000 +
Bed capacity
9
As of: 31 December 2022

10
SWITZERLAND

11

M I L E S
Openings
KU Zollikon ZH
RZB Enggistein BE
Local authority mandate Zeiningen AG
Openings
Local authority mandate Hunzenschwil AG
Openings
BAZ Bure JU
DZ Fridau, Egerkingen SO
KU Burgdorf BE for Ukrainian refugees
Local authority mandate Winterthur ZH
Local authority mandate Mumpf AG
Cantonal reception centre for Ukrainian refugees in FR
Start of coordination
Host families for Ukrainian refugees in the canton of FR
Openings
BAZ Neuchlen SG
BAZ Les Rochat VD
BAZ Chamblon VD
BAZ Liestal BL
DZ Balmberg SO
KU Winterthur ZH
KU Frick AG
Local authority mandate
Biberstein AG
Local authority mandate Urdorf ZH
Local authority mandate Zollikon ZH
Openings
Biberstein AG
Openings
KU Richterswil ZH
KU Dianapark Rheinfelden AG
Local authority mandate Rümlang ZH
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T O N E S
Openings
BAZ Emmen LU
GOPS Muri AG, KU Winterthur-Mattenbach ZH
KU Jura-Zentrum FR
Start of development
Police barracks Zurich ZH
with opening at the beginning of January 2023
Openings
Unterentfelden AG
NH Hotel Fribourg becomes KU for Ukrainian refugees
Approval to open KU Summiswald BE
Openings
RZB Bellelay BE
KU Charmey FR for Ukrainian refugees
Local authority mandate Urdorf ZH
Openings
Closure
BAZ Thun BE
RZB Biel BE
BAZ Moudon VD
DZ Allerheiligenberg SO
KU L’Ondine in Enney FR
Dietlikon ZH,
Irchel ZH
Project planning for opening
RZB Brünnen BE
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M I L E S
AG – canton of Aargau B K G
BL – canton of Basel-Landschaft K
BS – canton of Basel-Stadt B K
G
BS
BE – canton of Bern B K
FR – canton of Fribourg B K
GE – canton of Geneva B
JU
SO
GR – canton of Graubünden
JU – canton of Jura B
B
NE
LU – canton of Lucerne
B
NE – canton of Neuenburg B
SG – canton of St Gallen B G
SO – canton of Solothurn B K
VD – canton of Vaud B
VD
FR
BE
ZH – canton of Zurich K
G
GE
VS
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T O N E S
SH
TG
BL
AG
ZH
AR
AI
LU
ZG
NW
SZ
GL
SG
OW
UR
GR
TI
B Federal mandate
K Cantonal mandate
G Local authority mandate
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M I L E S
ORS Switzerland
The 2022 business year in Switzerland
is shaped by the opening of additional
facilities. Various temporary federal
asylum centres have to be opened for
the State Secretariat for Migration
(SEM). ORS proves itself as a flexible
service provider that also operates in
regions that fall under its competitors’
geographical area of responsibility.
In the canton of Fribourg, coordinating
the entire flow of refugees triggered by
the war in Ukraine is particularly
challenging. We take responsibility for
registering incoming refugees, open
collective housing and placing refugees
with host families. We achieve a placement
rate of over 70%. This figure has
never been reached by organisations
that operate in other cantons.
As part of the extraordinary circumstances,
ORS takes responsibility for
temporary accommodation in the
cantons of Aargau and Basel-Stadt.
Further capacity also has to be created
in existing mandates in the cantons of
Bern, Solothurn and Zurich.
We are also able to strengthen the commitment
to providing support and
integration in another 11 communities
in German-speaking Switzerland.
The herculean task of supporting
the authorities can only be managed
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T O N E S
through the recruitment of further staff.
The HR department and the People
Development department play an important
role in training new and existing
colleagues. High levels of flexibility
and commitment make it possible to
fulfil all requirements.
closed down, to the new centres in
Enggistein and Bellelay.
Negative and biased reports in the
media do not detract us from optimally
fulfilling our role as a flexible
and professional service provider.
Managing repatriation centres for
people who have had their asylum
application rejected is an ongoing
task. For example, in the canton of
Bern, a solution is found for families
who are moving from the accommodation
in Biel/Bienne, which is being
As part of the ORS anniversary, benches were added to
all accommodation. They continue to provide refugees
and guests with a welcome place to relax. This is the
bench from the repatriation centre in Rohr/ZH.
17

Giordana
Biaggio
Lazzeri
Giordana Biaggio Lazzeri (52)
has been working at ORS for 15
years. The psychologist speaks five
languages and took over leadership
of the cantonal mandate for Ukraine
refugees in Fribourg in 2022.
A multistorey building complex near
to Fribourg station has been the focus
of Giordana Biaggio Lazzeri’s work
since 2022. Here, where travellers used
to come and go, there is now a central
registration centre for people seeking
safety who have been assigned to the
canton of Fribourg.
Initially, those arriving were registered
in the empty hotel, offered financial
support, provided with medical care
and, within hours, connected with
private host families by ORS staff as
a matter of priority. This programme
of placing people from Ukraine is one
of the most successful in the whole of
Switzerland, with a placement rate of
over 70%. A team of around 35 staff
working with Giordana continues to
ensure that every refugee from Ukraine
receives a warm welcome and can then
be offered high-quality support.
Today, the former NH Hotel has become
the central port of call for
refugees from Ukraine and also
serves as collective accommodation.
Giordiana is found amid a plethora of
languages: French, Ukrainian, English
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and German. Before her time at ORS,
she studied psychology and managed
projects for internally displaced persons
and refugees in several countries.
“I’ve experienced many difficult moments
but still don’t think that I’ve
reached my limits yet”, she states in
description of her passion. She brings
her psychological abilities into her
team management, which her team
appreciates. These help her support
care staff, social workers, interpreters,
teachers and specialist medical staff
when dealing with challenging situations
involving refugees.
The larger the influx of refugees
became last year, the more flexibility
was required from all those involved.
Nonetheless, she always kept calm and
remained composed when responding
to changing guidelines from the federal
state and the canton. “Flexibility is
closely linked to resilience. As a
manager, you have to remain flexible
and set an example to employees. I
also associate flexibility with openness
and a willingness to try out new
ways of working.” Giordana believes
that the recipe for making the work a
success is found in ORS’s management
values. Delegating tasks to staff, placing
trust in them and supporting them in
doing what they are capable of.
”
My leadership motto: know
your staff, your talents and
your weaknesses, support
them in their development
and trust them. Then you
will see results.
”
In 2023, she is taking over co-leadership
for the entire support and integration
mandate in the canton of
Fribourg. Together with 350 employees,
she will significantly shape the future
of around 4,400 refugees in the canton.
19

Roger Hasler
When he was young, Roger Hasler
(56) wanted to be a policeman. However,
he then discovered a passion
for baking, trained as a baker and
worked in this career knowing that
he wanted to get into social work
one day. For eight years, he has been
able to develop in his dream job and
dedicate himself to the refugee sector.
At work, he is known as a ‘doer’ with
a high degree of flexibility.
Roger Hasler’s colleagues know that
he gets stuck in and does not think
that he is above any task. He has been
working in operative support services
at ORS for exactly eight years. He
leads the Hammermühle repatriation
centre in Kemptthal in the canton of
Zurich, directly on the through-road
between Zurich and Winterthur. The
former hostel is exclusively for men.
”
Our work often takes us to
the brink of what is possible.
You then need routine and
composure to find implementable
solutions.
”
All those living there have received a
negative asylum decision and have to
leave the country. Roger Hasler says:
“The human stories move us, but if
the legal system has decided that there
are no grounds for asylum, my team
and I cannot change that. We try to
treat the men with empathy, but occasionally
also have to remind them of
their obligation to be tidy when living
together.” Roger is in charge of tidi-
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ness in and around the centre. If he
has to, he even goes down to the cellar
himself and sorts the rubbish or dirty
washing. At the same time, he is a very
talented organiser and his team appreciates
him. “As a superior, you lead by
example, but you should also know
when enough is enough”.
His development expertise, gained
through managing refugee centres, is
well known beyond cantonal and
national borders. He is therefore also
a key point of contact time and again
when it comes to opening new refugee
accommodation. The effort made in
2020 in the former central refugee
facility (ZUE) in Sankt Augustin is one
particular experience that has stayed
with him. When the entire accommodation
was placed under quarantine
because of coronavirus and more and
more employees went off work, he
was immediately ready to get involved.
“It was pretty hot in the protective
suits. It was difficult for everyone
involved to find their bearings in a
challenging situation. But we overcame
it as a team.”
”
Flexibility is a must when
working with so many different
points of contact. You feel
reaffirmed every day when
everything works.
”
Flexibility is part of Roger Hasler’s
DNA. In 2022, when more and more
people from different countries were
seeking protection in the canton of
Zurich, he was immediately ready to
take on responsibility for an additional
centre in Winterthur. “ORS can rely
on me, like I can rely on my team.
The people that need to be supported,
regardless of where they come from
and where they are going, can rely on
the best possible support from us.”
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22
GERMANY

23

M I L E S
Opening
EAE Bonn, NRW
Opening
Hermeskeil branch office:
Bernkastel-Kues in RLP
Opening
Sanitary station in Ingelheim RLP
(Detention facility for people due
to be repatriated)
Opening
Ukraine reception centre Messstetten
Transforming the ZUE Wegberg during the
Ukraine crisis
The ministerial president of Baden-Württemberg,
Winfried Kretschmann, and Marion Gentges,
minister of justice and migration, visit
LEA Sigmaringen. “You can see that people put
their heart and soul into the work here. Now, we
need a combination of professionalism and care”,
said the head of the state.
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T O N E S
ORS strengthens the collaboration with volunteers. During a volunteer day
at the ZUE in Sankt Augustin, helpers, supporters and residents dedicated
themselves to cleaning the surrounding area and to maintenance work in the
accommodation.
Winning the contract
for the first two catering mandates at the same
time as losing the support mandates in the ZUE
Sankt Augustin and Wegberg in NRW
Opening
GU Bühringstrasse, Berlin
25

M I L E S
ORS Germany
Spring 2022
With the contract for opening the
reception facility in Bonn, North
Rhine Westphalia, we were able to
further expand our presence in the
largest federal state. At the beginning
of February, we became active for the
first time in Ingelheim, Rhineland-
Palatinate, in a detention facility for
people due to be repatriated, where
we provide health services for
residents.
Ukraine crisis
February 2022 brought turbulent times
with the beginning of the war in
Ukraine. The admission figures grew
rapidly and, against this background,
we opened the Messstetten reception
centre in Baden-Württemberg and the
Hermeskeil branch office in Rhineland-
Palatinate, Bernkastel-Kues. Furthermore,
our ZUE Wegberg was transformed
into accommodation for people
from Ukraine only. All refugees previously
there had to be transferred to
other facilities within a few days. The
facility was barely empty when it was
filled with people from Ukraine seeking
safety. It was only by combining forces
that we were able to achieve this
almighty feat. In early summer, we
opened the second collective accommodation
on Bühringstrasse in Berlin. The
autumn was shaped by other unforesee-
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T O N E S
able circumstances: the influx of
Ukrainian refugees abated temporarily,
but strong increases in immigration
from other places more than made
up for the reduction. This resulted in
severe overcrowding in the existing
accommodation managed by ORS
and other support organisations.
For example, our team in the LEA
Sigmaringen dealt with the arrival
and departure of over 1,000 additional
people within a few days. Unfortunately,
we did not have our contract to
continue our support services renewed
at two of our ZUEs in Germany, Sankt
Augustin and Wegberg. Instead, we
will concentrate on ensuring catering
for refugees there in future.
Improving the quality of the
support: the ORS app
The ‘ORS app’ digitalisation project
began in 2022. The app was specially
programmed for our residents with
the aim of facilitating communication
within the accommodation. Residents
receive all the information about
the accommodation in their native
language and can sign up for events
and job offers online. Furthermore,
they can be contacted individually,
meaning that appointments can
be managed efficiently. Further
information about the accommodation,
the region and more general
topics such as asylum and migration
in Germany complete the services
offered. The app will be piloted in
2023 and then rolled out group-wide
in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and
Italy.
Prospects for 2023
2023 also started successfully: we are
looking forward to more new facilities
in Hesse and Bavaria, which we will
be able to open in spring and summer
2023. Furthermore, we are having a
change in management. Carolin Wälz,
who has been CEO since 2018, is
leaving ORS after 16 years to pursue
a new professional challenge. Martin
Furrer, the former regional head for
the North and deputy CEO, is taking
her place in May 2023. Within the
scope of this change, the operative
management team is also being
expanded so that it can respond even
quicker and with greater flexibility to
changing situations in Germany.
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Antje-Hellen
Nekhili
Antje Nellen Nekhili (51) has been
working at ORS since 2022. She is
the coordinator of volunteering in
the reception facility in Bonn. The
position was specially created by
the Cologne regional government to
promote dialogue between residents
and staff at the refugee accommodation
and the public. This means that
problems can be detected early on and
solutions can be developed. At the
same time, involving volunteers is an
important step for successful integration.
When Antje Hellen Nekhili is asked
what motivates her to work with refugees,
she responds that she takes every
smile she receives from residents of the
reception facility in Bonn as a sign that
they are grateful for the great support.
The trained photographer has been
working with people with a migrant
background for eight years. She joined
ORS at the beginning of 2022 and now
sees working as a coordinator of volunteering
as her dream job. “I build
bridges between people and cultures.
In this work, doing is better than complaining,”
she explains, referring to
the efforts volunteers make in supporting
people living in the refugee
accommodation.
She helps people to understand each
other better by connecting refugees
with volunteers. This breaks down
prejudices and strengthens togetherness.
“I cannot undo what happened
to the refugees on their way here. However,
I can welcome them to their new
home, make them feel at home and
help them plan for the future. Volunteers
from the neighbourhood can
play a big part in this.” However, she
28

”
Looking at the beaming
faces of people who I have been
able to help is the best
motivation for my job.
”
has noticed a change in the volunteering.
She says that there is a greater
willingness to support war refugees
from Ukraine than people from Syria,
Afghanistan or Africa.
Flexibility is an everyday part of supporting
refugees. Each day can unfold
differently to how it was originally
planned. Here, Antje Hellen is proud
to be able to work in a team on which
she can always rely. Her team does not
say “that is not my job”. “We are only
strong together, and the only way to
cope with the work over the long term
by enjoying what we do.” She is impressed
by the range of applications and
offers from volunteers. There is something
for almost everyone, from language
courses to games afternoons for
children, sports activities and day trips.
Those who give also get plenty in
return.
Antje therefore strongly appeals:
“Volunteer, because seeing how grateful
the people you have helped are is
priceless.”
”
For me, flexibility does not
just mean looking at the
rules on paper, but also
approving ideas that may at
times be unconventional.
”
Companies are even committing to
freeing up their staff to work with
refugees, which the coordinator of
volunteering from Bonn sees as a sign
that Germany has compassion for
refugees.
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Martin Kinzel
Martin Kinzel (49) brings years of
experience in organisational management
with him to the role. Born and
raised in Austria, he worked for many
years in Ireland. In 2015, he learnt
about refugee support work at ORS
in Austria and learnt to love it. Now,
he works in Germany and is part of
the ORS management board.
When refugee numbers increase and
capacity gets tight, stronger calls are
quickly made for other suitable accommodation
options. Whether it is working
on temporary accommodation to
house those from Ukraine seeking
safety or a tender approval for a longerterm
mandate, ORS is flexible and helps
public contracting authorities deal
with refugee flows.
Since 2023, Martin Kinzel works on
opening new accommodation in a
timely and expert way. He is the head
of development for accommodation
and establishes temporary teams based
on the task at hand with which he can
establish ORS structures on site. From
furnishing and adding signage to the
accommodation and developing operating
procedures for optimal use of the
available infrastructure to training
new staff, Martin is the man for it all.
As well as training as a textile mechanic,
the Austrian also has years of
experience in the international hotel
and gastronomy sector. He has never
regretted starting to support refugees
30

eight years ago. “When children and
adults come to me beaming and thank
me for the support, it makes me happy.
However, there are naturally also difficult
situations that affect me and that
require me to be professional and look
for solutions.”
”
When children and adults
come to me beaming and
thank me for the support, it
makes me happy.
”
Until the end of 2022, Martin had two
jobs. He was the head of development
for new accommodation and head of
support for one of the largest regional
reception facilities in Baden-Württemberg
in Sigmaringen. In the extensive
former Federal Army barracks, Martin
Kinzel managed a team of over 70 employees
who look after up to 2,000
refugees in the accommodation.
”
Live in a state of inner peace,
lead with understanding and
treat others with respect.
”
“Our work often takes us to the
brink of what is possible.” In the
interplay between support opportunities,
refugee needs and the
authorities’ expectations for the
work being carried out, empathy
and good communication with all
those involved are key. The secret to
his success: “Live in a state of inner
peace, lead with understanding and
treat others with respect.”
31

32
ITALY

33

M I L E S
Winning the contract
for the repatriation centre CPR Ponte Galeria in Rome
Capacity: 125 people.
Refugee day in the reception facility CAS Monastir
Winning the contract
for the repatriation centre CPR Turin
Capacity: 144 people
Opening
Centre for Ukrainian refugees
CAS Rocca Barra San Colombano (Milan)
Capacity: 50 spaces
34

T O N E S
Opening
CAS Gelsomino in Rome
Capacity: 300 spaces
Increasing the number of beds
in CAS Monastir
In CPR Ponte Galeria
in Rome, the ORS support
staff successfully help to
de-escalate protests by
residents against the
political asylum system.
Visit by a Turin town council
delegation to the CPR Turin
repatriation centre
35

M I L E S
ORS Italy
In 2022, more refugees docked in
Italian territory than in the previous
year. The highest number of arrivals
during the year was in August, with
approximately 16,822 refugees.
In the first quarter of 2022, ORS Italy
received the contract to manage the
repatriation centres in Rome and Turin,
with a total capacity of 269 spaces.
November was the first time that
ORS Italy was directly awarded a mandate
from the prefecture of Rome to
manage a reception facility with over
300 spaces. This is because of the emergency
situation that emerged from the
large number of refugees docking on
Italian soil.
The increase in work also caused the
number of staff in Italy to rise. At the
end of 2022, up to 140 people were
working for ORS.
The professionalism and skills of the
staff are important factors in ensuring
high quality standards in the support
work.
Existing processes were therefore optimised
and staff training was enhanced.
36

T O N E S
The exchange of personal experiences
between centre managers and those
with operative responsibility for centres
in Switzerland was of particular benefit.
We committed ourselves to being
seen as reliable service providers in a
sensitive environment. As such, ORS
Italy still places great importance on
encouraging in-house staff training.
As part of the ORS anniversary, benches were added to all accommodation.
They continue to provide refugees and guests with a welcome place to relax.
This is the bench from the CAS FANTOLI repatriation centre in Milan/IT.
37

Miriam Arensi
Miriam Arensi, (36) has been working
for ORS in CAS Milan for two years.
As the head of the centre, she is responsible
for ensuring that the support is
provided smoothly. Various long stays
in developing countries have given
her a multicultural mindset.
Following the end of the coronavirus
pandemic and due to the uncertain
political and economic situation in
many countries in Africa, more and
more people are coming to Europe from
this continent. After a total of 84,000
refugees in 2022, 30,000 refugees were
already registered in Italy in the first
quarter of 2023. Many of these cross the
Mediterranean Sea in search of a better
life. And even though the journey in
(sometimes unseaworthy) boats can put
their lives in danger, many take the risk.
Miriam Arensi works in the CAS
Fantolini reception centre for asylum
seekers in Milan, where many refugees
arrive from Africa. The 36-year-old has
a special personal relationship with
Africa. After studying international
relations and peace-building, she spent
several years living in Tanzania, Benin
and Burundi. After returning home, she
also worked as a liaison person for
West Africa at an international organisation.
When she now works with the
refugees in need of support in the CAS,
she is committed to ensuring that they
are treated with respect and dignity
as far as the law allows. “The specifi-
38

cations and rules from authorities can
change quickly. We have to respond
flexibly to the changes. But despite all
the bureaucracy and many to-do lists,
it is important to me that we do not
forget that, first and foremost, we are
working for people and with people.”
She is aware that proximity to and distance
from people is just as important
as creating a pleasant work environment
in which team members can support
each other.
The high inflow of refugees has also increased
the occupancy figures in the
centres in Northern Italy. Team spirit
in the ORS team is important to her:
“In the last year, we have worked hard to
improve and we have achieved positive
results. We support each other and help
each other to deal with work stress and
to respect our private time.” When
Miriam thinks about flexibility, a blade
of grass comes to mind: “It bends when
the wind blows, but it does not break.”
”
Sometimes, in the humdrum
of ‘bureaucracy’ and ‘to-do lists’,
we forget that, first and foremost,
we work for people and
with people.
”
This is how, together with her 24-person
team, she has overcome the challenges
of dealing with unforeseeable circumstances
and juggling many requirements
without losing her respect for herself
and others. She also has not forgotten
to give people a smile. Today, she looks
back on the support work in the reception
centre with pride and is thankful
to work as a manager in a structured and
organised company that focuses on
providing professional support services
for refugees.
39

AUSTRIA
40

41

M I L E S
Openings
Nenzing reception centre, designed for
95 displaced persons from Ukraine
Setting up accommodation for displaced persons from Ukraine
in the Hotel Gaschurn, designed for 120 displaced persons
After signing the contract with the region of
Lower Austria in December 2021, the first apartments were
opened in January 2022 in the mandate for supported living in
Lower Austria and the first 30 places were filled.
42

T O N E S
Expanding the living capacity in
the mandate for supported living
by extending the quarters in Styria
The accommodation in Gaschurn is checked
by the basic service provider. The people
performing the checks evaluate it very positively
Participating in the Vienna
Migration Conference
Doubling the
previous number of
support spaces in the
mandate for Lower
Austria to 60 spaces
43

M I L E S
ORS Austria
The activities of ORS Austria focus on
service offerings for accommodating
and supporting refugees in the individual
federal states. The inflow of refugees
to Austria increasingly impact the
federal states.
In our mandates for supported living in
Carinthia, Lower Austria and Styria,
there is a growing requirement for additional
living space. It proves very difficult
to find suitable accommodation
options due to the housing shortage.
Nevertheless, the capacity is still successfully
expanded over the course of
the year.
In spring 2022, the Vorarlberg federal
state government asks ORS whether it
can take responsibility for support in
accommodating displaced persons from
Ukraine. Within a short space of time,
staff are recruited, trained and prepared
to work in the Nenzing and Gaschurn
reception centres. The former tennis
centre in Nenzing is transformed into
refugee accommodation and becomes
Vorarlberg’s central point of contact for
those fleeing Ukraine.
The collaboration between emergency
services, authorities and volunteers has
been built on a foundation of trust from
the beginning.
44

T O N E S
Over 250 high-ranking representatives
from different governments, authorities
and migration organisations meet
in October in Vienna for the annual
Vienna Migration Conference. ORS
uses the opportunity to discuss quality
standards in international refugee
support with ministers, ambassadors
and experts. In this, we are grateful
for the long-term partnership with
the event organisers, ICMPD, which
is managed by Michael Spindelegger,
former Vice Chancellor of Austria and
member of the ORS Advisory Board.
As part of the ORS anniversary, benches were added to all accommodation.
They continue to provide refugees and guests with a welcome place to
relax. This is the bench from the repatriation centre in Nenzing/AT.
45

Lisa Buhne
Lisa Buhne (33) was born and raised
in Germany. After studying German
and History, she trained and worked
in social work. She has been the deputy
head of the reception centre in Nenzing
(AT) since the beginning of 2022.
”
The Nenzing tourism region invites
visitors to Vorarlberg with the advertising
slogan “Close to heaven”. Lisa
Buhne does not associate Nenzing
with holidays but with supporting
refugees. Not heavenly, but realistic.
In spring 2022, the tennis centre was
converted into refugee accommodation
for those from Ukraine seeking
safety. When the accommodation,
with its 100 spaces, was opened, Lisa
faced the challenge of providing professional
support to people whose language
she does not speak but who she
still wanted to support through their
difficult situation.
When a six-person refugee
family with a big dog stands
in front of your accommodation,
you have to show that
you are flexible.
”
Despite her previous professional experience
in supporting, advising and
assisting people with psychological
and physical disabilities, each day at
work is a new adventure.
46

”
You can only integrate if you
understand how things work in
a new location. I’m therefore
committed to helping refugees
gain a better understanding of
their new location.
”
“I love that no two days are the same
and things do not go to plan, because
it means that you have to work on yourself
every day and can grow from it.”
One experience that she remembers is
the time when a coach suddenly arrived
unexpectedly at the accommodation
with Roma and Sinti families, including
a family with children and a large dog,
and wanted to be let in. It was the first
time she had to make decisions as the
manager following her short training
period. “It’s not easy to plan for people’s
needs. It’s always fascinating to see the
different destinies that lie behind
people’s faces.”
She finds her work at ORS very positive
in many aspects.
As well as regularly exchanging ideas
with the support team on site, she has
also received valuable input for everyday
support by participating in several
in-house training sessions. “In my
opinion, the training programme at
ORS is superb. It provides knowledge
and also allows ideas to be exchanged
both ways.”
Together with her team, she managed
to find temporary solutions for the
guests. She has learnt to respond to the
unexpected calmly and with composure.
47

ORS a serco company
48

49

ANNIVERSARY
When the Organisation für Regie und
Spezialaufträge (ORS) was founded in
1992, very few expected it to have developed
into a well-known European service
provider for refugee accommodation and
support by 30 years later. On 1 September
2022, over 600 staff from Germany,
Austria, Italy and Switzerland came
together to celebrate the 30th anniversary
of the Organisation for Refugee
Services. Colleagues demonstrated their
creative talent on stage in an eclectic
mix of performances. At the same time,
the benches that the ORS teams at all
locations had already designed were
inaugurated. These benches still offer
50
50

30 YEARS OF ORS
refugees and visitors a welcome place to
relax. An ORS song called “WE ARE
ORS” was performed for the first time.
The video clip gives you an idea of the
unique atmosphere at this unforgettable
event.
51

Melanie
Schnetzer
Before working as an HR generalist
at ORS, Melanie Schnetzer (30)
travelled a lot. She got to interact
with different people and very much
valued doing so. Today, she feels most
at home in a multicultural environment.
Together with the HR team,
the HR specialist with a Federal
Diploma of Higher Education and
certified vocational trainer currently
takes care of staff of 80 different
nationalities.
”
Waking up every morning and taking
the day as it comes. This is the attitude
that enables Melanie Schnetzer, HR
generalist, to cope with the many HR
requirements. Together with her team,
she felt the effects of the urgent need
for additional workers in refugee
accommodation in 2022. Recruiting
days had to be organised and executed
for all teams, during which potential
applicants could be interviewed.
There is an individual
behind every application file.
Assessing whether the person
fits the job is a challenge. I
like to take my time with it.
”
And because there sometimes weren’t
enough regular working hours in the
day, telephone interviews were occasionally
even conducted in the evening
or at weekends. “All applicants have
the right to be taken seriously. That
is why I always try to treat candidates
with respect during interviews, to
assess their motivation for the job and
52

”
to envision whether they have the right
professional and social skills for the
position to be filled. But that is not
always easy”, she admits.
For me, remaining flexible
means creating space for the
unexpected every day.
”
The trained banker finds flexibility,
initiative and commitment important
attributes for working in the migration
sector. Three years ago, when she herself
was looking for a position that focused
on social commitment, it was clear to
her that ORS could offer meaningful
work. Even though she is not in direct
contact with refugees as an HR expert,
she makes a valuable contribution by
advising, supporting and relieving
managers and staff on the front line.
“Our work requires a lot of independence
and flexibility. We experience
this every day as a team and value being
able to regularly exchange ideas and
support each other. If we did not have
that, we would not be able to cope with
it all.”
She creates room for flexibility by not
taking on too much each day, because
it will not go as planned anyway.
Her highlight of the past 12 months is
the digitalisation and process optimisations
introduced in HR, which have
improved the workflow without staff
losing the ORS spirit.
53

Fraser Moore
On 1 September 2022, ORS was
acquired by the Serco Group, the
international services provider for
public contracting authorities with
over 55,000 employees worldwide.
Serco is active in five geographical
regions across the sectors of defence,
justice and immigration, transport,
health and citizen services.
As part of the Serco Group, ORS
offers migration services for governments
and authorities in Europe.
For more information about Serco,
visit www.serco.com
Since Fraser Moore took over responsibility
for integrating ORS into Serco
structures at the end of 2022, he has
been regularly travelling between
London, Zurich and Brussels, which
requires a well-organised schedule and
a large amount of flexibility. This
makes him all the more grateful for the
support he receives from his contacts
at ORS and Serco and, most importantly,
his family.
Fraser knows all too well what it means
to reach his own professional limits.
The construction company that he
managed in the early 2000s had to close
due to financial difficulties during the
global financial crisis. “At the time, it
felt like a professional failure, but it
was an important experience and made
me the person that I am today. Today,
I know to appreciate it when colleagues
go the extra mile.”
Fraser has been working for Serco, an
international service provider for
governments, for 10 years. In his current
position as Director of Integration, he
is responsible for bringing both companies
together and enabling them to
54

combine their strengths. It is no easy
task: “ORS was an independent company
throughout its 30-year history.
Belonging to a global service company
that exclusively works for governments
is extremely advantageous for ORS and
its customers. However, it inevitably
takes time to adapt.”
”
At ORS, I can feel the desire
to make a sustainable contribution
to society using the
strengths at hand.
”
At the same time, he notes that part of
his job involves helping the ORS team
to orientate itself in the Serco world.
His recipe for a successful integration
is: develop mutual understanding,
agree on joint goals and identify the
path to achieving them.
these experiences in the migration
sector with other public contracting
bodies in countries where ORS already
operates and beyond. “A successful
service company is dependent on its
staff’s commitment. At ORS, I met so
many committed colleagues who
managed to focus on providing highquality
support even in one of the
largest refugee crises. I’m confident
that the high quality standards will
create opportunities to position ORS
successfully, now as a part of Serco.”
For Fraser, watching ORS’ work from
close by was an informative experience
and he was impressed by the skills
demonstrated in the field of refugee
and asylum seeker accommodation and
professional support. He believes that
there is enormous potential to share
55

A N N U A L
Review and outlook
The financial report reflects the migration
developments in the countries
where ORS operates. Because of the
changed ownership and requirements
for listed companies, ORS, as part of
the Serco Company, is not providing
detailed information. Instead, we refer
you to Serco’s annual report.
In Europe, asylum applications rose
around 55% in 2022 compared to the
previous year.
According to the State Secretariat for
Migration (SEM) in Switzerland, the
main reasons for the increase in migration
are:
■ Easier ability to travel since coronavirus
restrictions were lifted.
■ Weakened economies in the traditional
countries of origin and transit
countries of asylum seekers, combined
with rising energy and living costs as
a result of the war in Ukraine.
■ Increased repatriation pressure in
Turkey on 3.5 million Syrian refugees
and 200,000 to 300,000 refugees from
Afghanistan. Since summer 2022, this
has been causing a significant increase
in applications in Europe.
■ Liberal visa conditions in some countries
is facilitating entry to Europe.
56

R E S U L T S
Switzerland
In 2022, around 24,500 asylum applications
were submitted in Switzerland,
which is an increase of a solid 64%
compared to the previous year. As a
result of the inflow of people from
Ukraine seeking safety, who have left
their homeland because of the war, the
Federal Council activated Protection
Status S on 12 March 2022. This
quickly gave the refugees a right to
stay without having to go through the
ordinary asylum process. By the end
of 2022, 74,959 people seeking safety
had applied for Status S.
At the beginning of November 2022, the
Federal Council decided not to stop the
Protection Status S for people from
Ukraine seeking safety before 4 March
2024, so long as the situation in Ukraine
has not fundamentally changed before
then. The increase in asylum applications
led to higher overnight accommodation
figures and, accordingly, to a
higher turnover than in the previous
year. In the reporting year, the support
mandate in the federal asylum centres
was the area that produced the highest
turnover in Switzerland, closely followed
by the mandate in the canton
of Fribourg. This can be attributed to
the fact that this mandate was most
heavily affected by the increase in those
seeking asylum and people with Status S.
Germany
In 2022, the number of initial asylum
applications rose 47% compared to
the previous year, leading to an increasing
need for support options.
This resulted in an improved utilisation
of capacity at the centres.
Furthermore, the number of mandates
taken over increased from 12 to
17, which mainly relates to mandates
won in North Rhine-Westphalia and
Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition, a
mandate for supporting people with
Status S was negotiated in Baden-
Württemberg.
The business performance in 2022
improved accordingly and turnover
rose by around 41%.
Italy
ORS Italia S.r.l. was able to win further
mandates over the past year. After many
tendering processes in 2021 being
delayed by both a change of government
and the ongoing pandemic
situation, we were once again able to
implement our growth strategy in the
reporting year.
57

A N N U A L
Austria
Asylum applications in Austria rose
significantly last year and were up
around 229% on the previous year. At
the beginning of the reporting year,
a mandate for supported living in the
federal state of Lower Austria was
added. Furthermore, it was possible
to open two facilities for supporting
Ukrainian refugees in the federal state
of Vorarlberg. Overall, this led to
higher overnight accommodation
figures and, accordingly, to a higher
turnover than in the previous year.
ORS has been part of the Serco Group PLC
since September 2022. The global service
company offers outsourcing solutions to the
public sector and is listed on the London
Stock Exchange.
58

R E S U L T S
Turnover per country (in thousands of CHF) 2021 2022
Switzerland 79,702 124,660
Austria 723 2,712
Germany 27,471 38,583
Italy 2,319 7,571
Total 110,215 173,526
The members of the group management are responsible for all business activities
at the ORS Group. They are supported by managing directors in the countries in
which ORS operates.
Jürg Rötheli
CEO ORS Group
Claude Gumy
Managing Director ORS Switzerland
Carolin Wälz
Managing Director ORS Germany
She is being replaced by Martin Furrer on 1 May 2023.
Maurizio Reppucci
Managing Director ORS Italy
Jochen Wenderoth
Head of Human Resources & Managing Director Austria
Martin Nyfeler
CFO ORS Group
He is being replaced by Beatrice Greger and Vuk Popovic on 1 April 2023.
Lutz Hahn
Head of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
As of: 31 December 2022
59

A D V I S O R
Erwin Jutzet
Former member of the cantonal
government of Fribourg, Department
of Security and Justice and the
National Council (CH)
I am a social democrat and proud of it. I
worked in politics for 35 years (14 years
in the Grand Council of Fribourg, 11
years in the National Council and 10
years in the Fribourg State Council).
As a social democrat, I try to adopt the
position of the most disadvantaged in
society at any given time. Can you
advise a private service company as a
left-wing socialist? In my opinion, I can.
It is not reprehensible if the focus is on
the well-being of the people being supported
and responsible management
of public resources. I am often asked
how someone can earn money on the
back of the poorest in society? I asked
myself the same question when I was
asked to work on the Advisory Board
at the end of my active political career.
Rather than do-gooders, support work
requires professionalism and flexibility.
Neither the state nor self-proclaimed
experts can provide this using ‘feel good’
concepts. Of course, the state could
manage its own refugee accommodation.
For a number of reasons (e.g.
civil service status, costs, flexibility),
however, the authorities in charge
in Switzerland, Germany, Austria
and Italy have decided to outsource
asylum seeker and refugee accommodation,
support and integration.
They are better placed concentrating
on checking asylum procedures and
implementing legal enforcement
action after a positive or negative
decision has been made.
When outsourcing, the authorities have
to tender the services publicly. Lo and
behold: ORS very often wins the tender,
because the bids help to save the
taxpayer’s money and, most importantly,
because it is recognised that ORS is
reliable. Public bodies are delighted
that they can rely on the long-standing,
international experience and availability
of a private service provider,
especially in the current refugee crisis,
which is seeing ever more people seeking
safety in Western Europe as a result of
global political turmoil. In Fribourg,
the Swiss canton I call home, ORS has
full responsibility for supporting and
integrating those fleeing from Ukraine.
60

Y B O A R D
Let’s take the Guglera federal asylum
centre as an example. As the State
Council President, I stood up for the
site against many opponents of asylum,
some of whom were ringing cowbells,
in as early as 2015, as part of a town hall
meeting in a fully packed hall. Today,
neighbours tell me that their previous
fears that asylum seekers would only
bring trouble did not materialise. Even
back then, I stood up for the most disadvantaged
in society, in this case for
asylum seekers.
For almost seven years, I have been a
member of the ORS Advisory Board.
Here, I continue to speak for the most
disadvantaged and assert my standpoints
as a social democrat. That is
appreciated because it is about people,
not political opinions.
Our Advisory Board is a professional
body that advises ORS on current
and future migration issues. It
recommends approaches for implementing
the strategy and developing
the business. It is composed of
prominent political figures, entrepreneurs
and migration experts from the
DACH region. Alongside the canton
of Fribourg’s former state councillor
Erwin Jutzet, the members include:
President Ruth Metzler-Arnold
Former Federal Councillor (CH), Minister of
Justice and Police, President Switzerland Global
Enterprise, member of several boards of directors,
HSG university councillor (CH)
Rita Fuhrer
Former member of the cantonal government
of Zurich, Department of Social Affairs and
Security (CH) and former Minister of Economic
Affairs (CH)
Thomas Bäumer
CEO of Colosseum Dental Germany, former CEO
Adecco Germany and Austria, committee member
of the Confederation of German Employers’
Associations (BDA, DE)
Dr Michael Spindelegger
Former Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister of
Austria (AT), General Director of the International
Centre for Migration Policy Development
(ICMPD)
Dr h. c. Fritz Schramma
Former Lord Mayor of the City of Cologne and
President of the German Association of Towns and
Municipalities
61

OUR
COURSES
Staff training is very important to
us. It enables us to ensure that we
can maintain high quality standards
when performing services. As well
as obligatory starter courses and
management courses, there is a wide
range of specialist courses to choose
from. In 2022, 80 courses took place
in person and as webinars with an
average of 15 participants. In 2023, our
People Development department will
continue to offer an exciting training
programme. Many of the courses are
also available to third parties.

G L O S S A R Y
Abbreviations – Switzerland
NaBe – restructuring of asylum and refugee support in the canton of Bern
BAZ – federal asylum centre
RKZ / RZB – repatriation centre
KU – collective accommodation
SEM – State Secretariat for Migration
GOPS – Protected underground operative site
Cantons
AG – canton of Aargau
BE – canton of Bern
BS – canton of Basel-Stadt
FR – canton of Fribourg
SO – canton of Solothurn
TG – canton of Thurgau
ZH – canton of Zurich
Abbreviations – Germany
BU – support centre
LEA – regional reception facility
ZUE – central refugee facility
EA – reception facility
AfA – reception facilities for asylum seekers
GU – hostel
German states
BW – Baden-Württemberg
NRW – North Rhine-Westphalia
RP – Rhineland-Palatinate
BE – Berlin
Abbreviations – Austria
BM.I – Federal Ministry of the Interior
BBU – Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services
ICMPD – International Centre for Migration Policy Development
Abbreviations – Italy
UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
CAS – reception centre
CPR – repatriation centre

EU Liaison Office Brussels
BELGIUM
GERMANY
SWITZERLAND
AUSTRIA
ITALY
SPAIN
GREECE
64

I M P R I N T
ORS Group
ORS Group AG
Röschibachstrasse 22
CH-8037 Zurich
T +41 (0)44 386 67 67
info@ors.ch
www.ors-group.org
Switzerland
ORS Service AG
Röschibachstrasse 22
CH-8037 Zurich
T +41 (0)44 386 67 67
info@ors.ch
www.ors-schweiz.ch
Germany
ORS Deutschland GmbH
Güterhallenstrasse 4
D-79106 Freiburg i.Br.
T +49 (0)761 769 931 20
info@orsdeutschland.de
www.ors-deutschland.de
Italy
ORS Italia S. r. l.
Piazza Annibaliano 18
I-00198 Rome
info@ors-italia.com
www.ors-italia.com
Austria
ORS Service GmbH
Leopold-Ungar-Platz 2
AT-1190 Vienna
T +43 1 253 621 6081
info@orsservice.at
www.ors-austria.at
Spain
ORS España
Servicios Sociales S.L.
Avenida Felipe II, 17
1° oficina 1
ES-28009 Madrid
www.ors-espana.es
Greece
ORS Greece
Monoprosopi A.E.
280 Kifisias Avenue
GR-15232 Chalandri
EU Liaison Office Brussels/Serco
ORS Group
c/o Serco Europe
Waversesteenweg 1945
BE-1160 Oudergem
T+32 2 892 322 00
www.serco.com/eu
Imprint
Publisher
ORS Group AG, Zurich
June 2023
© ORS Group AG, Zurich
Concept and design
Ellinor Amini & Stefan Michel
Layout and graphics
ORS Deutschland GmbH
Editor
Lutz Hahn, Head of Communications,
Public Affairs & Marketing
ORS Group AG
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NEUTRAL
MINDFUL
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www.ors-group.org
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