On Monday, June 2, OpenEmbassy the national VNG conference "From Migration to Participation" in the Beatrix Building in Utrecht. The conference brought together municipalities, ministries, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders around a shared challenge: how can we work together to ensure a humane and future-proof approach to migration and participation?
Topics such as reception, housing, return, labor migration, and integration were discussed—precisely the issues we deal with on a daily basis.
By: Nell Frijstein and Femke Brand
A day full of conversations and connection
At our information stand, we spoke with over 100 visitors, mainly municipal employees, but also representatives of partner organizations such as COA, Nidos, the Red Cross, IND, VluchtelingenWerk, and other new networks. We shared our approach, research results, and practical experience. Visitors asked specific questions about our reports, wanted to know how our expert pools work, and were curious about how to shape the participation of newcomers in practice.
For us, the conference was more than just a great opportunity to share knowledge. It was a day full of new inspiration, making connections, and strengthening existing relationships. We look back on a motivating meeting, with renewed energy to work together to build better policies for newcomers.
The power of working together: humane reception
On this day, we also followed inspiring contributions from others, including the Red Cross session on Het Nieuwe Buurthuis (The New Community Center). This is a partner initiative for humane reception, in which 22 parties collaborate, including the Dutch Council for Refugees, UNHCR, Utrecht University, and OpenEmbassy.
The ambition: a sustainable, scalable, and affordable approach to childcare, based on calmness, ownership, and connection.
The approach is based on six building blocks: peace and privacy, care hub, resident participation, smart security, access to work, and a neighborhood hub. Consider De Wachtkamer in Bleskensgraaf, where residents worked with a social designer to come up with a new bed conversion for more privacy. Or Thuis in Oss, where residents have a say in house rules and collaborate with neighborhood initiatives in a shared neighborhood hub.
Utrecht University and OpenEmbassy the process through a learning network and a joint theory of change. Not to create a single blueprint, but to learn together what works—so that municipalities don't have to keep reinventing the wheel.
Involving residents in the shelter – how do you do that?
Our own session – "Involving the perspective of residents in reception centers," together with COA – was also well attended: the room was filled to capacity. We discussed, among other things, our joint pilot project "Guidance to work from the asylum seekers' center" and the AMIF project for the new design of the Meedoenbalies (Participation Desks). We shared practical examples andshowed how experiential knowledge can contribute to more effective policy and better implementation.
The large turnout demonstrated how relevant this topic is. Municipalities are seeking ways to genuinely engage residents—not as an extra, but as a starting point. We noticed a great deal of recognition, but also a need for practical tools.
📩 Would you like to receive the full session report, including tips and examples?
➡️ Send an email toopenembassy
Watch the aftermovie
Aftermovie of the conference, produced by the VNG organization
DIY Toolkit M&E
Practical follow-up to the session
