Knowledge by, for and about newcomers
Knowledge by, for and about newcomers
Expertpool Nijmegen
Municipality of Nijmegen
2024
Mirror Research
Report
On behalf of the municipality of Nijmegen, OpenEmbassy De Spiegelonderzoek conducted a study into the initial experiences of integration program participants under the new Integration Act 2021, which came into force on January 1, 2022. This act places the responsibility for integration back with the municipalities. The study focused on the experiences of status holders and family migrants in Nijmegen and aimed to gain insight into the effectiveness of the municipal integration services and the guidance that newcomers receive. In addition, opportunities for improving the policy were examined and a basis was laid for a more structural dialogue with integration participants.
The study followed a mixed methods approach, with the quantitative part being carried out by De Spiegelonderzoek and the qualitative part by OpenEmbassy. The quantitative part consisted of a questionnaire survey with 149 usable responses. This was followed by qualitative focus groups conducted according to the expert pool methodology, in which 19 newcomers (experts) shared their experiences and those of their community. This participatory method provided insight into the main obstacles and successes in the integration process. The Indicators of Integration (IoI) model was used to analyze dimensions such as work, social relationships, and access to healthcare.
In January, the Nijmegen City Council adopted the new Policy Framework, with the study included as an appendix. The report was well received. As a follow-up, the municipality requested that a structural sounding board group be set up based on the expert pool methodology. OpenEmbassy do this together with Younes Younes.
The recommendations at the end of the report and those made by newcomers themselves in the qualitative study focus on, among other things:
Video impression of the expert pool meeting, by Aya Bini.
