News item | 21-12-2021 | 10:53
The Netherlands will have a new integration system on 1 January 2022. Municipalities will play an important role in guiding newcomers in the Netherlands who are subject to an integration obligation.
According to the current law, people who are obliged to participate in a civic integration program must arrange their own language courses. This does not appear to work well in practice. That is why municipalities will guide newcomers from 1 January 2022. Together with them, they draw up a personal integration plan, tailored to the individual skills and possibilities. The municipality arranges and pays for the necessary courses for asylum status holders. Family migrants and other migrants have to pay for this themselves, but do receive guidance from the municipality.
Three learning routes have been established, the choice of which depends on the individual situation and capacities of the person integrating. The newcomers learn the Dutch language during the process. The desired language level has been raised under the new law. The ambition is also for newcomers to become acquainted with the labor market during the integration process, for example through an internship, voluntary work or paid work. In this way, people required to participate in a civic integration program can quickly participate fully in society, preferably through paid work.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment has designed and shaped the new system together with organizations involved in the implementation, including VNG, Divosa, DUO, COA and language umbrella organizations. Due to this close cooperation, the regulations are tailored to the implementation. It also closely monitors how the law is implemented in practice. As a result, any shortcomings can be corrected and parties can learn from each other’s experiences.