The Municipality of Groningen is looking for a new Dutch language lessons provider for refugees after it decided not to renew the current agreement in place.
From the 31st of December the agreement with Vluchtelingenwerk (refugee work), which provides the B1 language route for refugees, will not be renewed by the municipality of Groningen and 5 other municipalities in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. Vluchtelingenwerk has been providing this since April 2022.
The B1 language route is based on the integration laws of 2021 where municipalities need to provide different learning routes, including Dutch language lessons, to statusholders. In the B1 route learning the Dutch language at the B1 level goes together with preparing for participation in society and working. The goal of this route is that the status holders can participate in society independently.
Stichting Vluchetlingenwerk Nederland (foundation refugeework Netherlands) has been handling this B1 route for the municipalities Groningen, Eemsdelta, Het Hogeland, Midden-Groningen, Noordenveld, and Westerkwartier since the 1st of Aril 2022.
The aforementioned municipalities are of the opinion that Vluchtelingenwerk has not adhered to the agreements made and that the execution isn’t up to standard. These include the required evening classes, organising literacy classes, execution of the B1-entry route, and not enough social-return obligations. Although Vluchtelingenwerk has recently started giving B2 classes as well, this was supposed to be happening since the start of the agreement. This results in status holders not being able to combine their jobs with integrating in certain situations.
The 6 municipalities, including Groningen, want to collectively look for a new provider of these language classes. In the municipalities, there are 400 people currently enrolled in the B1 language route who can continue to follow courses but there might be delays. The municipality says that they will try their best to make the potential consequences of stress and insecurity minimal and the switch as seamless as possible.
