4.9.3.2. Information provided in reception centres

National authorities launched initiatives to inform applicants in reception centres about everyday life and social services available. In Poland, the Office for Foreigners provided orientation courses in centres for foreigners. The courses were conducted in Polish, English and Russian and covered topics such as social assistance, medical care, access to the labour market, regulations, compulsory education, learning Polish and Polish culture and history.809

The State Agency for Refugees  in Bulgaria, in partnership with UNICEF, created a video that introduces social services to unaccompanied minor applicants in reception centres. The content was translated into Arabic, Bulgarian, Dari, English and Pashto.810  The videos aim to promote specialised childcare facilities (ЦНСТ) which are licensed family-type children's centres, where children should be accommodated after recognition but can be accommodated during the asylum procedure. However, the majority of the children hesitate to leave the familiar conditions of the reception centres. Therefore, the videos showcase other children who have already been accommodated in the specialised facilities and share their positive experience, thus assisting to mitigate the existing prejudice among the children in reception centres and their anxiety of the unknown.

In the Netherlands, COA, in collaboration with the National Swimming Safety Board, launched a new film “Nederland Waterland” to inform adult residents in reception centres about the dangers of being in and near open water.811