Amsterdam wants simpler rules to get asylum seekers working

Amsterdam is making a scheme to help asylum seekers find paid work a permanent fixture, after a pilot involving over 1,000 refugees managed to get 332 of them into jobs in just over 18 months.

The city council is also calling on the national government to make it easier for employers to hire asylum seekers, by scrapping the work permit they currently need.

“It is important that asylum seekers get the chance to work while their application is still being processed,” work and income chief Sofyan Mbarki said in a statement. “Work gives people self-esteem and an income, and it helps them integrate quickly.”

Participants were recruited at three locations: the Willinklaan refugee centre and the emergency shelters at the A&O Hostel in Zuidoost and on board the MS Galaxy, a cruise ship that is being temporarily used to house asylum seekers.

National plans
Mbarki said the results backed up last week’s advice by the socio-economic council, which said councils should be legally required to help newcomers find work that matches their skills.

He also welcomed plans by work and participation minister Thierry Aartsen (VVD) to have councils help 75,000 more people into work, but said councils would need funding from The Hague to do it.

Drop-out risk
The pilot officially ends this year but will continue for another 4 years, as set out in the city’s coalition agreement.

The evaluation, by urban research institute Platform31, found that work gave participants more financial stability and helped their language skills. Employers described them as motivated and keen to learn.

It also recommended more aftercare and job coaching in the first months, to reduce the number of people who drop out of jobs after being placed.

Amsterdam wants the work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning) replaced with a simple obligation to notify the UWV, the system already used for displaced Ukrainians in the Netherlands.