Contacts in Netherlands:
Last update: July 2015
!! The country calling code of the Netherlands is 00 31.
Non-governmental organizations:
VVN (VluchtelingenWerk): non-governmental organization that supports asylum seekers and refugees. Has many offices in different towns and AZC's. Web: www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl
Red Cross (in Dutch: Rode Kruis): non-governmental organization that can help with tracing lost family members world wide. Sometimes the Red Cross can help with obtaining identity documents or writing a safety report about your country of origin. Web: www.rodekruis.nl/hulp-wereldwijd/opsporing-en-contactherstel/paginas/opsporing-en-contactherstel.aspx
Crisis shelter (Noodopvang):
INLIA (International Network of Local Initiatives with Asylumseekers), the central organization to which you can apply for crisis shelter in some municipalities in the Netherlands. Web: www.inlia.nl
Support organizations:
For a complete list of support organizations in different towns, you can find addresses at the website www.stichtinglos.nl/noodopvang. These are a few of them:
ASKV: Frederik Hendrikstraat 111c, 1052 HN Amsterdam
Tel: 020 6272408, fax: 020 4203208, e-mail: askvsv(at)dds.nl, website: www.askv.nl
Fabel van de Illegaal: Middelstegracht 38, 2312 TX Leiden
Tel: 071 5127619, e-mail: defabel(at)xs4all.nl, website: defabel.home.xs4all.nl
GAST: Tweede Walstraat 19, 6511 LN Nijmegen
Tel: 024 3294250, fax: 024 3792037, e-mail: info(at)stichtinggast.nl, website: www.stichtinggast.nl
INLIA: Jacobijnerstraat 5, 9712 HZ Groningen
Tel: 050 3138181, fax: 050 3120412, e-mail: info(at)inlia.nl, website: www.inlia.nl
Kruispost: offers medical treatment to homeless and to undocumented migrants:
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 129, 1012 EP Amsterdam
Tel: 020 - 624 90 31, fax: 020 - 428 83 30, kruispost(at)oudezijds100.nl,
www.oudezijds100.nl
OKIA Ondersteuningskomitee Illegale Arbeiders: Postbus 10648, 2501 HP Den Haag,
Tel: 070 3641960
PRIME: Zieken 143, 2515 CS Den Haag
Tel: 070 3050415, fax: 070 4020917, e-mail: apouri(at)gmail.com, website: www.prime95.nl
ROS: Hang 14, 3011 GG Rotterdam
Tel: 06 25383472, e-mail: stichtingros(at)hotmail.com, website: www.stichtingros.nl
STIL: Laan van Nieuw Guinea 143, 3531 JH Utrecht
Tel: 030 2715483, fax: 030 2721532, e-mail: info(at)stil-utrecht.nl, website: www.stil-utrecht.nl
Vluchtelingen in de Knel: Hoogstraat 301B, 5654 NB Eindhoven
Tel: 040 2569517, fax: 040 2515767, e-mail: vluchtelingenindeknel(at)hetnet.nl, website: www.vluchtelingenindeknel.nl
Stichting Vlot: Putgraaf 3, 6411 GT Heerlen
Tel: 045 5714014, e-mail: stichting-vlot(at)live.nl, website: www.stichtingvlot.nl
Vluchteling onder Dak (VOD): Markt 17, P.O. Box 285, 6700 AG Wageningen
Tel: +31 317 450140, e-mail: info(at)vodwageningen.nl, website: www.vodwageningen.nl
het Wereldhuis: Nieuwe Herengracht 20, 1018 DP Amsterdam
Tel: 06 22821472, e-mail: info(at)wereldhuis.org, website: wereldhuis.org
Lawyers and legal aid:
www.alleadvocaten.nl: Dutch Bar Association (all areas of law)
Asylum and immigration law:
www.vajn.org: Association of asylum lawyers
www.svma-web.net: Association of Migration law specialists
www.juridischloket.nl: Support with all kind of juridical questions. They have offices in 30 towns, or can be reached by phone: 0900-8020 (€ 0,10 p/m)
Action groups and Refugee Self-Organizations
There have been demonstrations and actions organized by migrants. Most of the time their claim was to get at least shelter and food for people without papers, who are homeless and have to live on the streets.
Lately, different protest tent camps by refugees have taken place, for example the big ones in front of the center in Ter Apel, and in the cities Amsterdam and The Hague. Migrants without papers were protesting here against the fact that there is no solution for them, the poor circumstances under which they have to live (no shelter, no food and bad medical care), and some also demanded a better look at their asylum case. The tent camps were evicted after some time and most of their demands were not met. Some groups were offered temporarily official shelter. Actions are still continuing.
Some groups formed during these struggles are: the action group Vluchtelingen op Straat (Refugees on the Street): vluchtelingenopstraat.blogspot.nl, an action group which held a tent camp in Amsterdam: kamposdorp.blogspot.nl, they continued by residing in a church in Amsterdam: devluchtkerk.nl, and an action group which held a tent camp in The Hague: rechtopbestaan.wordpress.com.
There are also other action groups struggling for justice for migrants without papers. There are groups for example organizing protests against deportations or borders, or organizing demos against the many deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean sea, or organizing noise protests at the detention centers in solidarity with the people who are inside. You can find links to most action groups and the latest news on the website of the No Border Network in the Netherlands: no-border.nl
About us
We are activists connected to the No Border Network (Netherlands: no-border.nl and international: www.noborder.org). The No Border Network is a tool for all groups and grass root organizations an activists who work on the questions of migrants and asylum seekers and struggle alongside with them for freedom of movement and against repression.
We stand for freedom of movement for everyone, irrespective of your origin and the reasons you left your country. We think everyone has the right to stay and travel where she or he wants to.
Borders, controls, and immigration policies make this impossible or very difficult. Borders mainly block the access for migrants from outside the EU or the western, richer countries. European countries have a strict immigration policy and it may be very difficult to obtain a residence permit, especially when you come from a poorer country. We do not agree with these policies. With various forms of actions we try, as hard as it is, to struggle against these border policies and support the ones who are controlled by them.
With this information about the Netherlands, we want to provide you with information that is independent of the immigration authorities and other authorities or organizations focused on return of migrants. We wrote this information from our experience and contact with people without papers, whom we support and struggle alongside with. We want to offer you information about the situation as it is in practice. Hopefully this information may help you to know more about your rights and possibilities in order to get legal stay or survive in the Netherlands and the ways to get in touch with organizations and action groups.
Links with more information
www.basisrechten.nl: More information on rights for people without papers, with useful addresses in different towns.
www.stichtinglos.nl: More information on rights ands legal issues, with addresses of many organizations. www.stichtinglos.nl/content/organisaties
www.paspoortamsterdam.nl: More information on rights for people without papers, with useful addresses in Amsterdam.
www.iLegaalkind.nl: Information on rights and legal issues, focused on children.
www.cvz.nl: CVZ (College voor Zorgverzerkeringen) This is the Board of Health Insurances. CVZ pays health care for those without papers and without health insurance. Tel: 020 7978947
Government links
www.coa.nl: COA (Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers), the organization that provides for shelter for asylum seekers.
www.dtenv.nl: DT&V (Dienst Terugkeer en Vertrek), the authority responsible for return.
www.ind.nl, IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst), the immigration authorities.