The Welcome Card is a service that pairs a temporary ID card paired to a digital platform, providing asylum seekers with easy to understand information regarding their asylum application, and access to publicly available services. The idea was developed at the UNHCR workshop, a collaboration between Transformator Design, UNHCR Northern Europe, UNHCR Innovation and the Dutch network What Design Can Do.

2. MISSION STATEMENT
Our vision is to simplify the lives of asylum seekers and national authorities by
delivering a single interface for information and services. The Welcome Card
is a temporary identification card, paired to a digital platform that enables
a clear flow of, and easy access to, information from national migration
agencies and relevant public services.
OBJECTIVES
• To simplify the lives of asylum seekers by delivering all relevant and
updated official information in one place;
• To provide an official temporary identification card to all asylum seekers
upon registration of one’s asylum application;
• To ease the process of integration by accessing public services donated
charitably by third-parties;
CONCEPT
The Welcome Card is a temporary identification card, paired to a digital
platform that enables a clear flow of and easy access to information from
national migration agencies to individual asylum seekers.
The card is issued to everyone that applies for asylum in a EU country. Radio-
Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) enables asylum seekers to check
their application status when the card is paired to a card-reader. It offers a way
to display one’s asylum application status, while providing official information
from relevant immigration agencies and related organizations.
The temporary identification card also provides details about language
courses, transport and relevant events. Moreover, it gives the card holders
peace of mind and dignity as they plan their lives.
Facilitating integration starts with giving asylum applicants the tools that help
them to understand and navigate the societies of which they are now a part of.
Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 2THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE

3. Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 3THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE
Country Specific
Physical + Digital
Safe & Unique
Building collaborations
ONE FOR ALL
TheWelcomeCardisbothphysicalanddigital.Whereas
mostasylumapplicantsdohaveaccesstoa‘smart
phone’,somedonot,andoftenthesmartphonedoes
nothaveaccesstotheInternet.
Pairedtoacardreaderandscreen,theWelcomeCard
allowsaccessfromtherefugeecenter,Immigration
Officeandweb.
TheconceptoftheWelcomeCardisscalable.Each
countryintheEUzoneacceptingasylumseekerscould
adoptitandadjustittoitsnationalcharacteristics.
EachWelcomeCardisuniqueandindividual.Usersare
givenanaccessPINcodetousewiththecardreader,or
tolog-inonthewebplatform.UsingRFIDtechnology,the
cardcannotbeexchangedandcanberevokedatany
time,includingattheendoftheasylumapplication
process,whenitisnolongerneeded.
Theaimoftheprojectistoprovideeachasylumseeker
witha‘WelcomeCard’.
TheWelcomeCard,issuedbytheImmigrationOffice
uponregistrationoftheasylumapplication,is
proposedasacollaborationamongthemajor
agenciesofacountry.
ActingasatemporaryID,theWelcomeCardispaired
toaneasytouseplatformcontrolledbythe
ImmigrationOffice,whichtailorstheneeded
informationregardingone’sasylumapplicationduring
thewaitingprocess.
TheWelcomeCardisintendedasaonepieceitem
thatcontainsvaluableinformationfortheasylum
application,aswellasusefulinformationthatleadto
integrationwithinthesocietyitsusersarenowpartof.
IssuedbytheImmigrationOfficeincollaborationwith
theTaxOffice(whichoverseesIDandtaxation),the
WelcomeCardallowspartnerstodonateservicesinthe
cause.Designedforintegration,collaborating
partnerssuchasthetransportationagency,culture
office,languageschoolsandsoupkitchenscanprovide
theirservicesaspartoftheirdonationprograms.

4. Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 4THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE
1. The project proposes that all refugee centers (and
additionally Immigration Offices) be equipped with a
‘Welcome Card’ reader that allows the center’s guests
to monitor their asylum application process on the spot.
The screen + card reader combination is intended for
all those refugees that cannot access the digital
platform via a personal smart device. The project’s aim
is to allow all refugees to monitor their asylum
application, whether via the secure-login on-line
platform, or physical card reader in the center.
2. After the card has been inserted in the card reader
and the RFID chip registered, the user is prompted to
enter his/her unique PIN code to access the platform.

5. Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 5THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE
4. The Welcome Card additionally allows partners to
provide services to asylum seekers. Acting as a temporary
ID card released by the Immigration and Tax Offices, the
Welcome Card allows access to language courses,
transportation, and cultural events for which an ID
number is mandatory.
3. After the user has safely accessed the system via the PIN code, s/he will automatically land in the
application status page. The screen is designed to provide the bare information needed to understand the
status of one’s application, including the agent that has been assigned to the case.
Additionally, the page provides tailored information that pertain to the point in time for the individual
application request, as well useful information to plan around the wait. The project believes that this is one
way to allow asylum applicants the peace of mind to continue their lives, while understanding the
progression within the application process and what to do to expedite it.
> MENU > COLLABORATIONS

6. Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 6THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE

7. Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 7THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE

8. WHO WE ARE
We are a Swedish + Italian + Syrian multi-disciplinary team, who came together on May 20, 2016.
Anders Forsberg
Migration Adviser
Anders has a background in crisis
management and human rights. His
professional interest is in the intersection
of human security and organizational
capacity-building. He is currently working as
a migration advisor for an international NGO.
Previously he has worked as a human rights
observer on the West Bank, as a consultant
within risk and crisis management, and as a
security policy analyst at a research center. He
has a Master’s degree in Political Science.
Anna Holm
UX Designer
Anna is interested in thinking and psychology,
which led her towards a degree in Cognitive
Science at Linköping University. Studying
a semester abroad at Indiana University,
USA, introduced Anna to user-experience
design, which since then became the
focus of her studies. She has worked as an
assistant instructor, with quality assurance
from an end-user perspective, and now with
user experience, UX, as a consultant at an
international company.
Photo Courtesy of Transformator Design
Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 8THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE

9. WHO WE ARE
We are a Swedish + Italian + Syrian multi-disciplinary team, who came together on May 20, 2016.
Marie Lärka
IT & Business Development Consultant
Marie has long experience of project
management and leadership within a variety
of areas, including software development,
outsourcing/off-shoring, gaming, learning and
development. Marie thrives in international, fast-
growing (and rapidly changing) environments.
Currently, Marie is a consultant and helps
companies with project management, process-
and organizational development. Marie’s
passion is to create environments for teams and
individuals to be awesome.
Veronica Polinedrio
Experience Designer
Veronica is an experience designer and design
researcher, who is passionate about working
with inter- and trans-disciplinary methods to
solve wicked problems. A graduate of the
University of Kentucky (BA Interior Design and
a BA Art History) and of Konstfack University
(MFA Experience Design), she works at the
intersection of design and philanthropy.
She has served as director and coordinator
for several community development
projects, non-profit organizations and start-
up companies between the United States,
Honduras and Sweden.
Alaa Aldin Nasif
IT and Programming Entrepreneur
Alaa Aldin Nasif, is a 43 year-old asylum
seeker from Aleppo, Syria.
He entered the Faculty of Economy in Aleppo
University, graduating in 1999. He married his
wife the same year, whom with he has 4 sons.
His interest in new technologies and
computers sciences led him to open his own
business in 2000.
In the winter of 2012, the Syrian war arrived
to Aleppo, where he continued to live with his
family despite the unstable situation. In the
summer of 2014, he alone left Syria, arriving
in Greece and Sweden shortly after. He is
currently awaiting asylum, hoping to reunite
with his family soon.
Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 9THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE

10. What’s being said
A collection of articles on the challenge and project.
www.dezeen.com/2016/06/30/what-design-can-do-founder-richard-van-der-laken-interview
www.fastcoexist.com/3061335/world-changing-ideas/25-smart-designs-that-could-help-ease-the-refugee-crisis
www.vn.nl/what-design-can-do-for-refugees
qz.com/722187/what-can-designers-do-to-help-refugees
www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/what-design-can-do-unveils-refugee-challenge-winners
www.dezeen.com/2016/07/01/what-design-can-do-refugee-challenge-winners-2016
www.designmena.com/specify/winners-announced-for-what-design-can-do-refugee-challenge-that-aims-to-improve-lives
Anders Forsberg + Anna Holm + Marie Lärka + Alaa Aldin Nasif + Veronica Polinedrio | 10THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE

11. THE WELCOME CARD | BASIC NEEDS + INTEGRATION & CULTURE
About the Challenge
The What Design Can Do Refugee Challenge is a joint initiative of
design platform What Design Can Do, the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and IKEA Foundation.
WHAT DESIGN CAN DO
What Design Can Do (WDCD) is a design platform that advocates the
social impact of design, centered around a two-day conference in
Amsterdam, NL.
UNHCR
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect
refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
IKEA Foundation
The IKEA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the IKEA Group of
companies, and aims to improve opportunities for children and youth in
some of the world’s poorest communities.
IKEA Foundation & UNHCR Partnership
Since 2010, IKEA Foundation has partnered with UNHCR to help create
better lives for thousands of refugee families and children in Asia,
Africa and the Middle East. In 2015, the UNHCR, IKEA Foundation and
BetterShelter launched the so-called “flat-pack refugee shelter”, a safer,
more durable emergency shelter for refugee families, which has received
widespread attention for its innovative design.