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Violence, pushbacks and endless stays in reception centres: refugees suffer inhumane treatment at Europe’s borders. Where are refugees still welcome? Stand in solidarity with people in need.

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From shelter to independence

VluchtelingenWerk supports refugees and asylum seekers from the moment they are sheltered in the Netherlands until they have found their way to independence.

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Personal Stories

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'I’ve seen all the seasons go by in this container house'

After a horrific journey, Suzan and her three sons barely managed to reach Europe from Syria. Now, in the Netherlands, they are living in one of the country’s many emergency shelters and are trying to make the best of it. But the waiting and insecurity feel endless. 'I’m afraid my kids will never know what a normal life is.'

Desperately waiting for family reunification

The family reunification of refugees is deliberately delayed in order to solve the national reception crisis. A decision with immense consequences, also for the Syrian Mohammed (39), who is consumed with nerves. For years he and his family have been struck by disaster. 'The secure future I wanted for my children remains an illusion.'

Asim: like a father to many

'Baba Asim' is like a father to many refugees. In the Bosnian border town of Bihać, his small supermarket is an oasis for people who want to try to cross the neighbouring and perilous border into Croatia. 'While everyone is turning their backs, I want them to feel human again.'

Pushbacks in Europe: 'They deliberately shot around our feet'

The story of Reza and his family is as horrifying as it is heartbreaking. In 2019, the persecuted atheist flees Iran head over heels, along with his pregnant wife and two young children. Reza tells his story in a refugee camp in Bosnia, just one day after the family got shot at by the infamous Croatian border police.

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Latest articles

Shattered dreams in Türkiye

Though news about the consequences of Türkiye’s devastating earthquakes may have faded to the background, the impact on the victims remains hefty. Many of them are Syrian refugees. Their life in Türkiye was already difficult, but since the earthquakes and elections earlier this year, it has gotten much worse, and xenophobia is on the rise.

Frontex Pushback Case: a disappointing ruling

The European Court of Justice ruled on September 6 that Frontex does not have to pay compensation for the illegal deportation of a Syrian family to Turkey shortly after their arrival in Greece. The Dutch Council for Refugees finds the Court's ruling to be unsatisfactory and disappointing, first and foremost for the Syrian family itself. The ruling also underlines the need for more clarity and accountability in European border policies.

Hungary’s fierce and senseless anti-refugee policy

Hungary has been an impenetrable fortress for refugees for years. Those who do manage to cross the barricaded border run a great risk of encountering violent border police. Refugees return in vain from the Hungarian border and often badly injured. Except Ukrainian refugees.

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