Desk research Newcomers to the Netherlands

Until 2035, more than 300,000 people will come to the Netherlands every year for work, study, love, protection, or family reunification. The life event "I am new to the Netherlands" aims to simplify government-wide services for this group and better align them with their needs—so that newcomers experience the government as a single, cohesive organization.

On behalf of ICTU, OpenEmbassy Regioplan are conducting desk research into the customer journey of newcomers. We are mapping out which groups are entering the Netherlands (asylum seekers, family migrants, and labor migrants), what steps they go through in areas such as admission, reception and housing, healthcare, education, integration, and participation, and what experiences and bottlenecks have been identified in existing research. The insights are translated into concrete starting points for improving policy and services. In addition, we are developing a visual journey map that presents the customer journey in a clear and accessible way and can be used as an independent tool in policy and implementation.