Utrecht
Combining local innovativeness with strategic lobbying
Key Takeaways
- 1
All of the city’s migration policies seek to facilitate an early and promising start for refugees. They are also tailored to the individual needs and ambitions of refugees.
- 2
With its “Plan Einstein” project, Utrecht has developed an entirely new approach to refugee reception, geared towards “context-sensitive asylum centres” that are more inclusive and benefit refugees and neighbouring residents through a shared social ecosystem, communal spaces and activities based on equality and shared interests.
- 3
Utrecht successfully combines local innovation on inclusion measures for undocumented migrants with strategic lobbying at the national level, thereby increasing its impact on migration policy beyond the city level.
What is unique about the city Utrecht?
Longstanding partnerships with civil society: Utrecht has been at the forefront of developing inclusion measures for refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants for decades. As the first Dutch city to offer legal support on top of emergency social assistance to undocumented migrants, the municipality has longstanding partnerships with civil society and refugee solidarity organisations. What sets Utrecht apart from other progressive Dutch municipalities is that it has also developed policies for asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. City actors have also brought “human rights home”, linking them to local issues.
What is the focus of local migration policies?
Reinventing asylum centres as local community centres: In 2015, the municipality seized a unique opportunity in the Dutch national policy context to develop its own innovative, alternative approach to asylum and refugee reception. For this project, the municipality applied for EU-UIA funding, thereby earning recognition across Europe. An exemplary feature of this “Plan Einstein” project involves the context-sensitive approach to the creation of a new type of urban collective space – mutually beneficial to both refugees and neighbouring residents. This emphasis on a shared environment, for communal living or learning, has been an effective method for building and sustaining local support for asylum centres.
What are the greatest achievements so far?
A very high success rate in resolving the status of undocumented migrants: Scholars and experts have applauded Utrecht’s measures and its success rate of over 90% in resolving the irregular status of approximately 900 people in the last ten years. From 2002-2019, this resulted in legal residence for 59% of cases. This success rate is considerably higher than the national average, and Utrecht’s policy advisors often credit the expertise of local NGOs for this success.
Political activities and advocacy beyond the city level
The strength of Utrecht’s advocacy approach lies in the strategic use of different forms of lobbying and ways of positioning itself vis-à-vis the central government. Underpinning the city’s different migration policies is a carefully developed approach that draws primarily on human rights and pragmatism and only to a lesser extent on humanitarian principles. Utrecht’s policymakers have emphasised that approaches to asylum and refugee integration are developed in line with differing political agendas. Utrecht also participates in various national and international municipal networks working on progressive migration policies.
Member of the following networks
Download the full city report
The city report contains more information about the city’s migration and inclusion policies and selected local approaches. Report from 2021, updated in 2023.