Welcome meetings PvT

Integration

Project

Client

Municipality of Amsterdam

Duration

July 2022 - March 2024

Product

Welcome Meetings

Project description

For the City of Amsterdam, we handled the implementation of 18 monthly welcome meetings for family migrants, from July 2022 to March 2024. The meetings aim to welcome family migrants and introduce them to each other, Amsterdam organizations and Dutch history. The welcome meetings are part of the Participation Statement Process (PvT).

Diverse approach
The family migrants are a very diverse group in terms of origin, age, life stages, needs and expectations. The welcome meetings are conducted in two languages: English and Dutch. An Arabic-speaking translator is always present. In addition, we work with experienced translators in French, Turkish, Farsi and Berber, among other languages. This way we can support participants who do not understand Dutch or English as well as possible. In addition, many of our trainers and translators have experience as newcomers themselves. As a result, they recognize the challenges that family migrants face and a bond of trust is quickly established.

Results & insights

On average, there were around 60 people at a welcome meeting. In exceptional cases, the number was around 40 or 100. Participants enjoy getting to know other family migrants and getting to know the city in an informal way.

Community building

The meetings are interactive and emphasize networking and peer-to-peer learning. Participants are encouraged to interact, share experiences and exchange valuable tips.

'The session was really good, I liked the games, the interaction and getting to know other people.'

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