'Welcome to Holland' - Campus Vught

Campus Vught is a reception centre for single underage asylum seekers (AMAs) who submit futile requests for asylum. Everything is aimed at sending them back to their home countries. This ensures, for example, that contact with Dutch society is kept to a minimum. No Dutch is spoken, no Dutch TV is watched and the AMAs are not allowed to leave their confinement. But lest they return empty-handed to their original lands, though, they are encouraged to learn English or how to use a computer. To maintain order, the AMAs wear uniform clothing and their behaviour is regulated by a scoring system. At least, that was the original idea. In this shocking account, we see how the project completely disintegrates. The Dutch consultative culture and overburdening paperwork is unable to cope with the AMAs lack of interest and independence: ‘To me this is not a campus, but a prison’. What is more, the law may be strict in theory, but hardly allows any hard edge sanctions. The frustrated staff members see their role change from well-meaning social workers to toothless wardens. Although the mainstream media were kept off the grounds, director Sarah Vos captures everything from the beginning, like a ‘fly on the wall’, working as a silent witness to the many disheartening discussions with and about the refugees.