“Not Just a Refugee Anymore”: Examining the Impact of the Incluusion Programme on the Social Integration of Refugees in the Netherlands.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the Incluusion programme at Utrecht University on the social integration of refugee students in the Netherlands amidst a backdrop of stringent asylum policies and complex integration dynamics. Through an online survey (n=64) and focus group discussions (n=5) the research employs a mixed-methods case study approach to assess the programme's impact on social integration. Findings indicate that the Incluusion programme has a positive impact on the perceived social integration of its students, regardless of certain demographic factors (gender, age, residency status). Additionally, a unique three-step social integration process emerged for Incluusion students; a regaining of a sense of self and individuality, the creation of their own social capital, and long-term sustainable social integration. The Incluusion programme was shown to occupy a unique “catalyst” role in this social integration process of its students, highlighting the programmes importance in the wider immigration landscape of the Netherlands.