The municipality of Arnhem organized a meeting for the first time to congratulate integration participants who successfully completed their integration process. A total of 45 new Arnhem residents were celebrated for this important milestone.
Paul Smeulders, Alderman for Refugees: “Everyone benefits from rapid integration, but integration is not easy. It means a new country, a new language, new rules and new customs. That requires courage and perseverance. This group has shown that they do not stand still but want to participate in Arnhem. The municipality is proud of that, I am proud of that, but I especially found it beautiful to see how proud they themselves are.”
Newcomers from all continents
The group consists of both asylum migrants and family migrants, originating from among others Jamaica, Iran, India, Bhutan, Nigeria, Georgia, the Philippines, South Africa, Egypt, Australia and China. During the meeting, they received a certificate in recognition of their commitment and perseverance. On average, newcomers spend about two to three years on their integration.
Experienced experts help newcomers
Unique to Arnhem is the support through Bureau Nieuwkomers. Here, coordinators work together with newcomers on their path to self-reliance and participation in the city. Many of them are experienced experts and know from their own experience the challenges involved in building a new life and participating from day 1.
Within the Arnhem approach, the municipality and partners work together on language development, participation and work. Newcomers gain practical experience in various sectors, such as hospitality, healthcare, logistics, sewing workshops and production companies.
With this first festive meeting, the municipality not only wants to celebrate success but also show that newcomers are a full part of the city. The municipality intends to organize such meetings more often for successful integration participants.