This year marks the tenth anniversary of Refugee Talent Hub. And we're going to celebrate—naturally. But we're doing so in a world that's becoming increasingly dark and hostile to newcomers. At a time when our dream—providing the right opportunities for refugees in the Dutch job market—still seems a long way off. And yet, we're going to celebrate. Reflect on what's been achieved, acknowledge what's been accomplished. Not thoughtlessly, but deliberately. We're going to dance on the volcano.
2016: At the World Economic Forum in January, Accenture advocates for the establishment of an organization that bridges the gap between refugees and employment. This initiative is an employer-led initiative, operating from the perspective of employers, focusing on talent rather than need, and focusing on (economic) opportunities and the value of work for everyone. Angela Merkel stands by her statement from the previous year, "Wir schaffen das" (We can do it). In the United States, Barack Obama is in power ("Yes, we can"). In the Netherlands, efforts are being made to accommodate refugees (Rutte II). The public debate about migration is polarizing: protests against asylum centers are loud, while at the same time, more volunteers are registering with the Dutch Council for Refugees than ever before.
2026: Refugee Talent Hub celebrates its tenth anniversary with its original partners and dozens of other major employers. The daily news is dominated by Trump, Putin, Zelensky, and Netanyahu. There's war on Europe's borders. NATO chief Mark Rutte warns of war with Russia. Dutch politicians have just emerged from a cabinet that advocated for the strictest asylum policy ever; the House of Representatives has approved asylum laws that experts consider incompatible with human rights, unworkable, and ineffective—and those with a heart for it, heartless. The European Migration Pact comes into force this summer; its framework is one of deterrence, deterrence, and deportation.
It can make you feel scared, sad, and cynical. You might wonder if it's any use doing what we do when there's so much opposition. Last year , I already wondered : are we mopping with the tap running? Does it make any sense to do what we do at Refugee Talent Hub, and what our fellow organizations do, when every step forward seems to be negated by major political steps backward? And even then, the conclusion was: yes, it does make sense. A lot of sense. That's what I said then, and I'll say it again now.
Because even on a volcano, grass blooms . Think of Orhan Kiymaz , who found his dream traineeship at Rabobank after several rejections. Or Weam Alarik i , who made an impression at a meet-and-greet at Accenture: "Believe in yourself and don't hesitate to look for opportunities and apply for them. Enjoy creating your own." Or Tuba Dönmez , who found a job at ISS Facility Services with its "it'll be alright" philosophy.
The Financieel Dagblad published a three-page spread about our work , under the headline "Newcomers must be able to participate from their very first day in the Netherlands." Both long-standing and new partners stand by our collaboration and promote it . We regularly receive open applications from people who consider us the coolest club in the Netherlands. And then there are the unexpected gifts, such as a message from a duo from our RefugeeLinkUp campaign two and a half years ago: "You gave me perspective, hope, and a new beginning. […]. Your kindness made my path in the Netherlands possible." Grass, once sown, grows ever more.
In ten years, much has been sown and much has grown. More than ten thousand newcomers participated in Refugee Talent Hub activities, and over 1,500 of them found jobs; stories and campaigns aimed at changing the perception of newcomers have reached millions of people, and a team of over twenty employees works with great dedication every day to improve job opportunities for newcomers.
While the world is hardening, we still did this. We still achieved this. We're proud of that.
Because, while we started as a digital matching organization, we quickly became an organization that facilitates personal meetings between employers and newcomers. We grew into a knowledge partner with a large network and acquired the national online platform RefugeeWork . We still dream big: we want to encourage all employers in the Netherlands to work with newcomers, so that 100,000 newcomers will have paid, professional employment by 2033.
So, we're going to celebrate this year. We're going to reflect on our achievements. We're going to acknowledge what we did, do, and will do. Celebrate where we stand—that we're here and with whom we're here. We're going to show that it's possible, and how it's possible. We're not doing this alone—we've never done it before—but with all the fellow organizations around us, with all employers (large and small) who see and want to utilize the talent of newcomers, and with everyone who is open to it.
Tuba tells me everything will be alright. I once learned that vegetation indicates a dead or dormant volcano. Nothing grows on an active volcano. That's hopeful, because the grass grows. Let's sow and dance on the grass. Let's dance on the volcano.
2026: Bring it on!
Read more:
- Want to know more about our concrete plans for 2026? Read our annual plan here .
- End of Year Blog 2024: Inspiration from an unexpected angle
- FD article: Newcomers must be able to participate from their first day in the Netherlands
- Tuba Dönmez with her 'it will be alright' philosophy