Open day at an asylum seekers' centre: have an online look in an asylum seekers' centre

Last update: 20 September 2021

​The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (in Dutch: Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers or COA), the Repatriation and Departure Service (in Dutch: de Dienst Terugkeer & Vertrek or DT&V), the Dutch Council for Refugees (in Dutch: VluchtelingenWerk Nederland) and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (in Dutch: de Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst or IND) annually organise an open day on National Neighbour Day. This year that is on 25 September. The COA normally opens the doors of the AZCs, but because of the corona measures this year there is an online programme. 

During the open day the participating organisations want to show neighbourhood residents and other interested parties how residents and staff live next to each other at an asylum seekers' centre. In order to give you a glimpse of the life at an AZC, we have jointly made a film, which will can be watched live on Saturday 25 September. From that time you can watch the film on the page Azc in Beeld. In addition, various locations will make an AZC newspaper with stories, photographs and more information on living and working in an AZC. This newspaper will be distributed in the surroundings of AZCs.

Stories in pictures

There are also various vlogs and interviews with AZC residents. Read for example the personal story of asylum permit holder Raouf. He arrived in the Netherlands in 2018 as an unaccompanied minor refugee. Curious about all stories? Read them here: www.azcinbeeld.nl.

Neighbour Day

The Open AZC Day always takes place on National Neighbour Day. With this we aim to emphasise that asylum seekers are neighbours of all of us.

Together

'Azc in Beeld' (Focus on AZCs) is an initiative of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), het Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), Dutch Council for Refugees and the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V). You can read what these organisations do on their websites.