W-Star

The Discussion

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The panel discussion featured the following speakers: 

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• Fenna Timsi,  Councillor Member, The Hague Municipality 

• Elena Ponzoni, Assistant Professor, Director Co-Creation for Inclusive Knowledges Lab, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 

• Kirsten Meijer, Knowledge Manager, The Dutch Council for Refugees/VluchtelingenWerk Nederland

• Olga van de Berg, Programme Officer, Justice & Peace 

• Dilyora Mukhtorova, Refugee Resettlement Advisory Group 

Moderator: Eleni Diker, Oxfam Novib, The Hague
 

Olga, from Justice and Peace, opened by arguing that the goal should be to create spaces where people feel genuinely welcome, rather than framing their inclusion around what they can contribute, such as labour. She observed that case workers currently tend to approach women based on their existing skills and work experience, rather than considering their broader potential. She also pointed to a tension within "safe pathways" policies: while these can expand access to education, they may simultaneously make family reunification more difficult. As a result, she said, those affected are often not genuinely listened to, which breeds frustration. Fenna added that institutions sometimes only give the appearance of listening.

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Fenna went on to describe several troubling shifts at the local level, including a reduction in shelters and denied access to healthcare for migrant and refugee women. She noted that political opponents currently hold a strong and dominant narrative on migration. She referenced the Dublin claim and pointed to reduced mental health care provision, framing these developments not as isolated incidents but as part of a deliberate political strategy pursued by conservative actors.

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Kirsten touched on resourcing for migrant-led organisations and warned that funding cuts are limiting opportunities for meaningful participation, and argued that the focus should shift toward mobilizing people's existing skills and talents rather than requiring them to continually prove themselves. This, she said, calls for greater solidarity and stronger connections between actors in the field. She also stressed that restrictive outcomes are not solely a product of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, but also reflect deliberate choices made by the Dutch government for instance, growing restrictions on family reunification and a reduction in the length of asylum permits from five to three years, both of which make it harder for people to build a stable life in the Netherlands. She further described how the Pact itself prioritises detention, faster and simplified asylum procedures, and particular reception conditions, including border screenings for vulnerability that are conducted by military personnel a practice she characterised as failing to provide a safe space.

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Elena closed the discussion portion by highlighting a disconnect between institutions and the lived experience of refugees. She emphasised that it is important to include not only individual stories, but also the broader patterns that connect them.

Turning to recommendations, Dilyora called for educating voters as a way to counter anti-migration narratives, and for raising awareness and encouraging critical thinking among citizens more broadly.

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Olga encouraged participants to use their personal privilege and networks to advocate for change, and stressed the importance of speaking with refugees rather than for them.

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Kirsten offered several recommendations for organisations: to recognize patterns and amplify voices in an inclusive way, to acknowledge the differences among refugee women rather than treating them as a single group, and to focus on what women are able to do rather than on their deficits. She also urged organisations to speak out and mobilise the "movable middle" in order to grow the base of supporters, and argued that direct support should always be paired with advocacy aimed at systemic change.

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Elena recommended centering collective knowledge and lived experience, and ensuring that this knowledge is actively connected to NGOs and political processes. She also summarised the discussion, urged participants to stop merely reacting to anti-migration politics and instead to set the agenda themselves.