In the Netherlands, unaccompanied minor (under 18 years of age) asylum seekers are entitled to social services (housing, healthcare, etc), have a personal custodian and can legally reside in the country. Once they turn 18 and are then considered adult, this protection ceases and they are left without social services and without work permission. There is therefore an increased risk of leading a marginal existence (illegal stay, hard drugs use, forced prostitution, human trafficking, criminal behaviour, radicalization and/or psychiatric problems etc…). The objective of the support centre is to help minor asylum-seekers early on to make use of their rights, to prevent an illegal stay in the Netherlands and therefore to avoid the related negative consequences.

The project organises coaching activities for young people who arrived in the Netherlands as unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers and who have few chances to obtain legal permission to stay in the Netherlands. The coaching is comprehensive, respectful and individual.

• Support for return: Participants can prepare themselves for a return to their country of origin. Through coaching and “expert meetings”, they are informed about economic, humanitarian and social conditions in their country of origin with a special focus on recent developments. They can reconnect with their country of origin through Internet facilities and local music, newspapers or books. They also are advised on how to use the experiences made in the Netherlands as an added-value upon their return.
• Professional training: Trainings on specific skill sets are provided to enable participants to find a job either the country of origin or in the Netherlands in sectors such as health care and ICT. They also include information on how to set up and run your own business.
• Psychological coaching The centre also offers psychological coaching to overcome traumatic experiences and to cope with an insecure future.

Since 2003, the support centre has reached more then 400 youngsters (from 17 to 25 years old, with emphasis on the 19-21 years age period) in Utrecht and nearly 100 small children (from 0 to 5 years old). Almost all (former) unaccompanied minors in the city of Utrecht still come to the support centre for guidance and to find documentation. The activities of the centre have also had an impact on the local security situation: through information gathered in the centre, the police in Utrecht has been able to identify and prosecute more human traffickers.

• 53% of the participants have received a residence permit after turning 18 years old. Without the support centre, the average was only 10% in the past.
• 93% of those who received a residence permit are now working or studying.
• 25% of the participants have chosen to leave the Netherlands voluntarily and to start a new life in their country of origin. - Only 9% of the participants could not be followed on a continuous basis and ‘disappeared’.
• 18 major cities and 5 provinces have adopted the approach piloted by the support centre in Utrecht. Talks with the central government for an introduction of the “policy” experienced in Utrecht at the national level have started.

The support centre has won several awards, including 

• 2004: Best social project of the City of Utrecht
• 2005: Utrecht Safety Award
• 2007: the project was nominated for the EUROCITIES award on cooperation One of the successful factors of the project is specific training for the social workers in the centre, including issues such as intercultural communication, crisis support, indirect counselling etc

- Unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers - All citizens

Funding source today: - Municipality of Utrecht - Zoudenbalch Fund (a fund for orphans) In its origin, the support centre was launched thanks to funding from local government (Province of Utrecht) and European (European Refugee Fund) funds. Costs: - 1000€/year per youngster or child. Staff: - 7 Social workers with legal expertise