Our organisation
Volunteers: the key to our impact
With over 9,000 volunteers, we are a professional volunteer organisation. Our volunteers support asylum seekers and refugees through often complicated procedures and help refugees navigate their new living environments. They are the force behind our organisation and form an important connection between refugees and society.
Sometimes it’s not about rules or laws; sometimes it’s more about the feeling that someone is there to support you. The Dutch Council for Refugees stands by me as if they were family.
Our roles
Guide
As a guide, we assist refugees with information, advice, and support during procedures.
Advocate
As an advocate, we make sure that refugees' voices are heard by the government, politics, and society.
Expert
As experts, we share our extensive legal knowledge with refugees, lawyers, and organisations.
How we are organised
As of January 1, 2022, the Dutch Council for Refugees merged from several regional foundations into one national organisation. With over 1,400 paid employees, we dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to supporting refugees every day.
The board
The board of VluchtelingenWerk Nederland is responsible for setting policies and financial guidelines and holds final responsibility for daily management. The board consists of two members: a chairperson and a board member. The Supervisory Board oversees the board of directors, to whom they are also accountable.
The board is composed of:
- Frank Candel, chairman of the board
- Vacancy, board member
Decisions within the board are reached through consensus. In the event of tied votes, matters can be escalated to the Supervisory Board. Direct involvement in the management of employees by board members is restricted and is primarily related to the board members themselves and the board secretary.
The board operates within designated focus areas, each assigned to specific members following mandates set by the board. These focus areas are established from three key perspectives:
- External positioning versus internal organisation
- Asylum and Integration Services
- Hierarchical direction of directors and board secretary
The board chairman serves as the prominent figurehead of the Dutch Council for Refugees. In addition to overall responsibility, the chairman carries the accountability for external actions. The other director(s) primarily focus on internal organisational matters.
Management
The management team of the new Dutch Council for Refugees Foundation consists of Mirjam Kort (Director of Operations), Jan Jaap Kleinrensink (Director of BKOD), Edwin Leenhouts (Director of Integration Services) and Ariette Reijersen (Director of Asylum Services). The photo below shows, from left to right, Edwin, Ariette, Mirjam and Jan Jaap.