Asylum and Migration
Amsterdam Pilot Achieves Goal: Over Half of Participating Asylum Seekers Helped Toward Employment
An Amsterdam pilot program, 'Asylum Seekers at Work,' successfully helped 644 out of 1,017 participants find paid employment or take concrete steps toward it, surpassing the goal of assisting half of the participants. The initiative, launched in February 2025 across three asylum accommodation locations, involved collaboration between the municipality, the Central Agency for Asylum Seeker Reception (COA), and the UWV. Of the total, 332 participants secured paid work, while 312 advanced their careers through guidance or training. Consequently, the city is integrating this approach into regular policy. Alderman Sofyan Mbarki emphasized that work provides self-worth, income, and rapid integration, noting that addressing labor market shortages requires utilizing all available workers.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's