Give your old mobile phone a new lease of life
Mobile phone collection drive for people fleeing conflict – in Biel and Nidau
Mobile phone collection
Background
When on the run, a mobile phone is often the most important thing of all. It maintains contact with family, helps with navigation on the go, and is often the only link to authorities and legal advice. More than half of asylum seekers arrive without a functioning device. A second-hand mobile phone from Biel or Nidau can fill this gap.
Our approach
To mark our double anniversary – 15 years of the FAIR! association and 10 years of Haus pour Bienne – we are collecting second-hand mobile phones in Biel and Nidau. In partnership with Phones without Borders (selfm.aid), the devices will be checked, repaired, completely wiped and passed on to refugees on Samos. Even broken devices are welcome: their parts will be used as spare parts for repairs.
This is how you join in
Prepare
Handy Reset and label it – name and contact – and put it in an envelope. No code to hand? No problem, just submit it as is.
Hand in
Place in an envelope, add name and contact details (email or WhatsApp) for any queries. In Biel on Haus pour Bienne or in Nidau in the BAR. hand it in – or bring your mobile phone with you to the anniversary celebrations on 5 September.
Let it work
Phones without Borders checks and repairs the device on Samos, erases all data completely if necessary, and passes it on to someone who needs it.
Nach seiner Flucht war seine Familie davon überzeugt, dass er tot sei, da er keine Mittel hatte, sie zu kontaktieren. Er würde niemals das Schluchzen seiner Mutter vergessen, als er ihr endlich eine Nachricht senden konnte, um sie davon zu überzeugen, dass es ihm gut ging.
Anonymous quote, selfm.aid
Our principles
Simple
No sign-up, no conditions. Reset, put in envelope, hand in.
Sure
Every device is checked in the workshop and fully wiped before being passed on.
Effective
Repaired mobile phones go directly to people who need them for contact, official matters, and legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare my phone for trade-in?
Setzte es, wenn möglich, auf Factory settings Back. If you can't get to the code, hand over the phone anyway – the team will take care of it.
What happens to my personal data?
Every device is checked and fully reset in the Phones without Borders workshop on Samos. All personal data and accounts are completely removed before the mobile phone is passed on.
My mobile is broken or very old – can I still hand it in?
Yes. If a device can no longer be repaired, its parts serve as a spare parts store. The only prerequisite for working devices is that they must support WhatsApp, as legal advice and asylum procedures are conducted through it.
Where and until when can I drop off my mobile phone?
At the Haus pour Bienne (Kontrollstrasse 22, 2503 Biel) and at BAR. (i.e. Expoplatz, 2560 Nidau). The collection runs from 1st August until the anniversary celebration on 5th September 2026 – you can also hand in your mobile phone directly on site then.
Who is behind the action?
The collection is an initiative by the FAIR! association in collaboration with selfm.aid / Phones without Borders Samos.