Open Reception Centre Day Saturday 24 September

After two online editions, Open Reception Centre Day is live again this year. In addition to the regular reception centres, the reception centres for minor asylum seekers and a few emergency reception centres are also taking part. Each reception centre has its own programme. For example, the successful Iranian DJ duo (and former residents) Vessbroz are performing in the Grave reception centre, DJ Yalla Yall is playing Arabic and North African hits in Winterswijk, and visitors in Den Helder can join a language cafe and volleyball tournament. Minister Van der Burg (Asylum and Migration) is visiting the Gilze Rijen reception centre. 

Because Neighbours’ Day is a day on which you gather socially and do something nice for one another, the COA, Dutch Council for Refugees, IND and DT&V are seizing this day to ask for attention for the residents of asylum reception centres. Recently, it is mostly the crisis in asylum reception that people get to see. During Open Reception Centre Day, visitors can see up close what it is like to live and work in reception, get an explanation of how the asylum procedure works and meet the residents of reception centres in person.

In the Netherlands, there are now 150 locations for asylum reception, of which 72 temporary locations. At these locations, almost 43,000 residents receive accommodation, guidance and support. These are mostly people who are still in the asylum procedure, but also 17,000 people who already have a residence permit and are waiting to be offered accommodation by a local council. In addition, there are around 6,000 people with accommodation in temporary crisis reception centres of municipalities.

The IND is also present during Open Reception Centre Day.

At a number of reception centres, there are IND information officers to tell you more about the work of the IND and answer questions. These locations are Almere, Budel, Gilze, Grave en Zutphen.