New Role for COA Chairman Milo Schoenmaker

Harry Paul from ABDTOPConsult and the current chairman Milo Schoenmaker of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) will conduct research into the future of Dutch migration policy. They do this on behalf of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration (AenM). Milo Schoenmaker will step down as chairman of the COA as of January 1, 2026.

Schoenmaker has been chairman of the COA since early 2019 and looks back on a wonderful and fascinating time at the COA:

“I will miss the organization, but of course especially the people at the COA. I have met so many deeply committed and hardworking employees who do their best every day to provide humane reception and guidance to people seeking protection. The challenges were and are enormous. When I started in 2019, we accommodated about 22,000 people; now nearly 80,000. I am very proud of the organization and all the employees; the COA has truly earned a place in my heart. To keep asylum reception humane and manageable, a clear future perspective is needed. I am very pleased that I can use my experience to, together with Harry Paul, investigate what is needed for this.”

The COA and the Ministries of Justice and Security (JenV) and Asylum and Migration (AenM) sincerely thank Schoenmaker for his dedication and the way he has fulfilled the role. The vacancy for chairman will be opened as soon as possible. In the meantime, this role is being temporarily fulfilled by board member Joeri Kapteijns.

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