VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) will soon not be present at all central reception locations
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From 1 January 2026, VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN) will no longer be present at all reception locations for asylum seekers. The Dutch Ministry of Asylum and Migration has decided that VWN will receive less money. And that VWN has fewer tasks at the reception locations. As of 1 December this year, VWN must already stop assisting new applications for family reunification at all reception locations.
Information about the asylum procedure and legal assistance increasingly online soon
An information video about the asylum process will soon be available to watch on RefugeeHelp
The asylum procedure is a complicated one. That is why it is important that you know what happens during the asylum procedure and when. And which organisations you will have to deal with. So that you can prepare well for the asylum procedure.
As VWN will no longer be present at all reception locations as of January 2026, you may not receive information at your location. VWN will only continue to provide information itself about the asylum procedure where possible at the reception locations in Arnhem-Wageningen, Gilze-Rijen, Ter Apel, Budel and Schiphol.
If you do not receive any information about the asylum procedure, you can watch an information video about the asylum procedure on RefugeeHelp itself. You will then receive a leaflet about it with information and a QR code or a link to the information video.
VWN will still answer your questions during the asylum process
VWN will continue to support you during your asylum procedure. Even though VWN may not be present at your reception location. Do you have questions and would like to speak to someone?
On RefugeeHelp you can already find a lot of information about the asylum procedure yourself. And this information will be expanded in the near future. So that you can already read in your own language how the asylum procedure works. And perhaps already find answers to your questions.
You must now fill out and send in your own application for family reunification
As of 17 November, VWN will no longer help you file new applications for family reunification. Unless you still have to send them before 1 December 2025. After 1 December, VWN must forward you to the IND for a new application. But did you already apply for your family reunification before 1 December 2025? And did you then receive a letter from the IND about your family reunification that you have questions about? Then you can still contact VWN via the digital consultation hour even after 1 December 2025.
The help with family reunification from the IND is different from what you are used to from VWN. As of 1 December, the IND will give you information about family reunification in Dutch and English via IND.nl. Not in other languages. And you have to apply for family reunification yourself. The IND does not help with that.
However, there will be a telephone help desk (nareislijn) at the IND that you can call. There you can ask questions in Dutch or English about your family reunification application. The phone number of this helpdesk is not yet known. The IND will not announce the number by 1 December. The phone number will then appear on RefugeeHelp.
RefugeeHelp shows you step by step how to apply for family reunification
VWN believes it is important that you succeed in applying for family reunification on time and for all your family members. That is why the information on RefugeeHelp about applying for family reunification is being expanded. Not only with texts, but also with videos and other visual material. So that you can read and see in your own language, step by step, how to apply for family reunification yourself.