No time to lose: from reception to integration of asylum migrants

By simultaneously focusing on accommodation, language acquisition, training and work, governments lose as little valuable time as possible when integrating permit-holding asylum migrants. And to accelerate the integration process and to bring together relevant parties, a more active role for municipalities is desirable. That is stated in the WRR Policy Brief No time to lose: from reception to integration of asylum migrants (WRR Policy Brief no. 4, 2015).

Focus on labour potential

Only one in three permit holders in the Netherlands aged between 15 and 64 has a paid job. They must not be allowed to become dependent on assistance, as that results in a waste of human capital and an unnecessary burden on the benefit system. It is therefore vital to focus early in the asylum procedure on the labour potential of permit holders and their possibilities on the Dutch labour market.

Unique cohort study

This Policy Brief is a joint product of the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), the Dutch Scientific Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) and the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR), drawn up in collaboration with Regioplan. It is based on a unique cohort study into the position of 33,000 asylum migrants registered in the Netherlands. In addition, investigations have been performed in eleven municipalities into the current practice of integrating permit holders. These investigations show that there is no time to lose in speeding up the integration of permit holders.