Newcomers are often welcomed based on their 'foreign' identity. Finding a community based on their 'old' identity is crucial for successful integration and emotional well-being.
It is often not easy for refugees to feel at home in the Netherlands. The Welcome! app paired newcomers with someone from the Dutch community for lunch. Finding a match proved challenging. The refugee's motivation was often incredibly strong, but the other party experienced sitting opposite each other without a social script as uncomfortable.
In addition to connecting with individuals from the local community, integrating becomes easier when you're actually part of a local community. People expand their network more easily in groups, which is more accessible and less uncomfortable. It is therefore better to match newcomers to existing communities with a shared interest or activity.
The Welcome! app facilitates newcomers to find a local community based on common interests.
On Welcome! a newcomer finds everything they need for integration: language lessons, social support and a community. The latter is new. Welcome! app is a social map on steroids. It shows which local services you can use or which social events you can join. In this way, it offers an accessible experience to let people come into contact with the Dutch community.
