PowerPointpresentatie

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Dutch agency for the reception of asylumseekers
(COA) Nicolien Rengers, November 2007 The Dutch
approach to resettlement
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Summary of presentation

• Dutch resettlement programme
• COA pre-arrival activities
• COA centralized reception
• COA (Group)Settlement in Dutch municipalities
• Integration in the Dutch society
• Strong points and challenges
• European project Durable Solutions in Practice

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Dutch resettlement program

• Quota
• (Since 1987) Every three year 1500 refugees
• Selected by the Dutch Immigration Service (INS)
• 4/5 cases during missions, 1/5 cases individually
  
• Criteria
• 1951 Convention
• European Convention for Human Rights
• Protection for humanitarian reasons
• Family reunification
• Dutch aliens law
• Accepted refugees
• 2005 452. Missions Ecuador (Colombians), Ghana
  (Liberians) and Tanzania (Burundians)
• 2006 497. Missions Kenia (Sudanese,Congolese,Ethi
  opian) and Thailand (Birmees,Nepali,Cambodian)
• 2007 550. Missions Tanzania (Burundians,Congolese
  ), Syria (Irakis), Kenia (Ethiopians) and
  Thailand

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COA Pre arrival activities

• Social intake during selection missions
• Collect data education, work experience, language
  knowledge, hobbys
• Management of expectations by giving realistic
  information
• Findings are shared with INS and collected in a
  social file
• Cultural orientation (mental preparation for
  departure)
• Provide refugees with important knowledge about
  the Netherlands and reception centre
• Give refugees a first impression of the Dutch
  language
• Establish a social network amongst refugees
• Findings are shared with staff reception centre
• Logistic arrangements
• Maximum of 50 persons at once
• Mixed groups leaders and vulnerable cases
• Maximum of two languages

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Pre arrival activities time schedule

• Social intake
• (2 weeks)

2 weeks
4 weeks
Cultural Orientation Training (2 weeks)
2 weeks

8 weeks
Arrival last group in The Netherlands
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COA Purpose built reception centre

• Reception centre Amersfoort
• Centrally located in the Netherlands
• Near Schiphol airport
• Near academic hospitals
• Solely entrusted with the reception of resettled
  refugees
• Since 1 January 2006
• Capacity of 280 beds
• Units for disabled persons
• Goal
• Preparation for settlement in a Dutch
  Municipality

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COA Centralized reception

• Arrival activities (week 1)
• Medical checks, residence permit, food and
  clothes packages
• Start-up weekly allowance 50 per adult and 30
  to 40 per child
• Explanation of modern facilities, security
  matters, rights and house rules
• Children start at school
• Registration in administration city of Amersfoort
• Programmes (week 2-20)
• Orientation programme find your way in the
  center and in city of Amersfoort
• Computer lessons
• Nation wide integration programme Dutch lessons,
  knowledge Dutch society
• Bicycle lessons
• Empowerment defensibility training for women
• Individual coaching (week 1-20)
• Build route map for the future (concerning study
  and work)
• If necessary practical guidance in appartments
  (upbringing children, hygiene)

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(Group)Settlement in Dutch municipalities

• Legal framework
• Every Dutch Municipality obliged to give houses
  to refugees
• COA connects refugees to houses (first in- first
  out)
• Group settlement
• 20-30 persons, maximum of 10 houses
• Same group as training group cultural orientation
  
• Combination vulnerable cases/leaders
• Outflow 2006 and 2007 250 persons to 20
  municipalities
• Strong points
• Refugees support each other human capital in
  group
• Efficiency enables personal supervision transfer
• Municipalities can organize groupwise integration
  (learn and work) programmes
• A chance for positive media attention for
  municipalities
• Challenge
• Find enough volunteers to provide social guidance

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Integration in the Dutch Society

• Key role players
• Dutch Council for Refugees (NGO) 8000 volunteers
  in 93 of the municipalities
• Churches
• Mainstream organisations schools, welfare
  organizations, municipalities
• Employers
• Role of Dutch Council for Refugees (DCFR)
• Individual and social coaching at settlement
• A bridge to the society through a volunteer
  mentor
• Facilitate procedures of family reunification
• Independent position in advocacy and executive
  services
• Research DCFR IntegrationBarometer 2006
• economic integration refugees
• Difficult labour market position after 3 years
  20, after 10 years 50 employment
• Weak income position
• social integration (feeling at home) refugees
• Good contact with Dutch people, 75 has Dutch
  friends, 18 member Dutch association
• 70 feels involved in the neighbourhood
• 82 feels at home in the Netherlands
• 74 feels well or very well integrated (22 a
  little, only 4 not)

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Strong points and challenges

• Strong points Dutch approach
• Positive reactions of refugees on pre arrival
  activities and centralized reception
• Positive reactions of municipalities on results
  of centralized reception
• Experienced staff and Dutch Council for Refugees
  in reception centre
• Same information for every quota refugee
• Visibility of individuals awareness of special
  needs
• Possibilities of creating a network amongst
  refugees
• Personal social guidance by trained volunteers in
  municipalities
• Challenges
• Systematic research integration quota refugees
• Employment and income position quota refugees
• Social participation quota refugees (prevent
  isolation)
• Provide individual arriving refugee with
  (pre)arrival information and programmes
• Manage the capacity of reception centre
  Amersfoort
• Systematic quality control COA-activities

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Durable Solutions in Practice

• COA transfers knowledge/good working practices on
  resettlement activities
• Financed by European ARGO fund Project Durable
  Solutions in Practice
• Partners Belgium, Czech Republic (Romania?)
• Time schedule March 2007-June 2008
• General Introduction in the Netherlands (June
  2007)
• Look and Learn missions Czechs to Kenia (October
  and November 2007)
• Look and learn missions Belgians to Thailand
  (December 2007 and January 2008)
• Studyvisits to reception centre Amersfoort
• Workshops in Prague and Brussels (January and
  March 2008)
• Closing conference in Romania (April 2008)
• For further information www.enaro.eu/DSIP

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• Thank you for your attention!