On 30 September 2026, the third edition of the Symposium on Care for Newcomers took place. More than 130 participants, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers and representatives of civil society organisations, came together to reflect on the central question: What does shared care require from professionals, organisations and newcomers in a changing landscape?
The symposium was organised by KCGH, NSGH, KAMG, Doctors of the World, EKANN and EZONN. Together, they are committed to providing accessible, equitable and future-proof healthcare for new arrivals.
The person behind the system
Care for new arrivals takes place within a changing landscape. Developments in policy and society have an impact on their health and well-being, whilst systems, procedures, language barriers and exclusion can hinder access to appropriate care. Throughout the day, therefore, the focus was not only on the healthcare system, but also, and just as importantly, on the people within it.
Chairperson Majd Shneker opened the day and introduced the first keynote speaker, Bright Richards. In his keynote speech It was a love of freedom that brought me here, but love kept me here Bright took the participants on a journey through his own life, from Liberia to the Netherlands. Through his story, he demonstrated the role that human connection, trust and compassion can play in building a new life.
Bringing together different perspectives
During the open session, participants then discussed their experiences of healthcare, the healthcare system, relationships and taking action together. Marleen Kraaij-Dirkzwager facilitated the session, with a substantive contribution from Weam Ghabash based on her research Who gets to define good care: Reflections from research into perinatal care for displaced women in the Netherlands.
Elize Smal from Pharos then spoke about the impact of policy and societal developments on care for newcomers. The discussion also focused on the role of healthcare professionals: how can they continue to contribute to dignified and accessible care within a changing landscape?
From insights to practice
In the afternoon, participants were able to explore the various themes in greater depth during two rounds of parallel sessions. Topics discussed included providing care in the places where people already are, the health and wellbeing of children who are new to the Netherlands, cultural differences in communication, and improving access to care.
Attention was also paid to mental health and the shift from specialist mental health care to accessible mental and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Participants explored how they can cope with moral stress when rules or systems stand in the way of providing good care. In the documentary Building Bridges The event also focused on the personal stories of newcomers and the importance of meeting and connecting with others.
Majd Shneker brought the day to a close with a plenary session, summarising the various insights from the sessions. The third edition once again demonstrated the wealth of knowledge and experience held by newcomers, healthcare professionals, organisations, researchers and policymakers – and how important it is to continue bringing these perspectives together.
The ‘Care for Newcomers’ Symposium takes place every year. Find out more here previous editions and stay informed about the next edition.
The conversation continues
The symposium is over, but the discussion continues. You can take part in our online dialogue on care for new arrivals until 8 October. A second round will follow from 8 to 25 October, during which participants can respond to each other’s experiences and ideas.
On 10 December 2026, the LAMPION symposium: Access to Healthcare for the Uninsured will also take place in The Hague. The focus will be on the new reimbursement scheme for healthcare provided to the uninsured and what is needed to ensure accessible healthcare for people without health insurance.
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