Many municipalities are still struggling with a new integration law

Civic integration stands on its own and there are insufficient incentives for customization and quality. In cooperation with partners such as ROCs, private language education and employers, good integration must now get its hands on. A survey by TopTaal and Binnenlands Bestuur shows that many municipalities are by no means ready for their new tasks.

Self-reliant

For status holders, the new system focuses on a continuous line from the shelter. But the municipalities will be responsible for the entire integration process. The directing role of the municipality for integration starts with a broad intake. Learning and participation must go hand in hand and both aspects must be included in a personal plan. The integrator must receive appropriate help from the municipality to become self-reliant.

To what extent are municipalities ready for the transfer of responsibility for integration to the local level? To find out, the private language trainer TopTaal and Binnenlands Bestuur jointly conducted a survey among municipalities in which 82 municipalities participated. Through the survey, the National Board and TopTaal want to know what impact the new integration policy has on municipalities and whether they have already finished reformulating the new policy.

To which activities does this lead, which objectives and how is this controlled and monitored? And with whom do municipalities work together to achieve these objectives? The main line that emerges from the survey can easily be summarized. The impact is large for almost half of the municipalities: 45 percent must formulate new policy and with 49 percent the policy must be 'slightly adjusted'. Only 6 percent of the municipalities already meet the requirements of the new integration law.

Nevertheless, experts - despite the results of our survey, which mainly shows searching municipalities - think that municipalities in 2021 can be ready for their new responsibility for integrators, as long as they start now. 27 June there will be a third government letter from Minister Koolmees about integration, which will also provide the necessary clarity.

Taking control together

After the summer, municipalities can really give full gas. Municipalities must now take control and semen with employers, roc's, private language providers, COA and VluchtelingenWerk, to solve the problems of status holders in particular. It is important to do that together with other municipalities, in a regional approach. In this way you create volume and you can develop innovative approaches with the various regional parties.