Arnhem has a new living room: CONNECT Arnhem in Rozet. Here, residents and newcomers meet to learn, work, attend workshops, and share a meal at A Beautiful Mess. It is a place where reception and integration come together, where equal encounters are central, and where from day one, participation in the city is built. On Monday, September 22, CONNECT opened in the Rozet building in the heart of the city.
Paul Smeulders, alderman for Refugees: “CONNECT is a beautiful place to be proud of, located in one of the most beautiful buildings in the Netherlands. It is about equal encounters and building together a welcoming city that Arnhem is. I hope as many residents as possible will walk in here so that CONNECT truly becomes the place where everyone feels at home.”
A welcoming city, learning and living together
The meeting place is an outcome of the collaboration that the municipality entered into last year with the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). In that agreement, Arnhem committed to sustainably accommodating 1,700 refugees, in return for which the municipality receives compensation from the national government to invest extra in the integration and participation of newcomers in the city. There is a strong demand from newcomers to be able to support themselves financially and contribute to society. Arnhem, COA, Refugee Work, and other partners meet this wish with CONNECT.
Joeri Kapteijns, COA administrator: “We are pleased with this initiative in Arnhem. Connection and participation are important for both the asylum seeker and society. Every person wants to make a meaningful contribution and be in contact with people in their environment. In this unique place in Arnhem, refugees take important steps towards integration.”
What happens at CONNECT
CONNECT revolves around three pillars. First, there is the impact restaurant A Beautiful Mess, where 60 asylum seekers and status holders receive a learning work placement daily and where warm meals are provided for both refugees and local residents. Additionally, there is the Connect program, in which about 150 participants can join activities related to work, language, culture, sports, creativity, music, and health for free daily. Finally, in collaboration with Refugee Work, there is personal guidance for newcomers so they receive the support needed to find their place in the city.
Welfare organization Rijnstad has been working with COA since 2017 to connect Arnhems asylum seekers to the Arnhem community through the Participation Desk. This is done through volunteer work, sports, cultural, and language activities. The Participation Desks have been developed within CONNECT into a weekly participation program.
A place of encounter
With CONNECT, Arnhem wants to show that reception and integration can go hand in hand. It is a place where residents from all corners of the city and the world meet and work together to build a close-knit community. Thus, CONNECT is not only an answer to the current reception challenge but also an investment in the future of a connected and welcoming city.
CONNECT Arnhem has come about through collaboration between the municipality of Arnhem, Rijnstad Foundation, Refugee Work, A Beautiful Mess, Rozet, and COA.
