About iMMO

iMMO contributes to the protection of human rights, in particular by conducting investigations of suspected victims of torture and inhumane treatment and transferring expertise on them. All this particularly in the context of an asylum procedure. This supports the implementation of laws and regulations relating to a careful procedure.

The Netherlands insitute for Human Rights and Medical Assesment (iMMO) regards the timely and adequate recognition of victims of torture and inhumane treatment, as a public, moral matter of honor, given the letter and spirit of the Dutch legal order and our country’s humanitarian tradition. As a not-for-profit foundation iMMO aims to play a valuable, selfless role in this.

iMMO is not an advocacy organization, but an independent institute that contributes to the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and expertise about victims of torture and inhumane treatment. This involves the preparation of medical reports for use in legal proceedings, providing advice and consultation, training and trend reports.

iMMO aims to be a trust institute for the victims of torture and inhumane treatment themselves, for all parties involved in the reception, assessment and treatment of those victims and for society in general. iMMO works in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol to this end. The medical reports are recognized as expert reports up to the highest court.

Organization

iMMO has a staff with medical, psychological and legal expertise. The staff works with a network of volunteer reporters: professionals, medics and psychologists, who conduct the investigations.

The medical staff and volunteers are supported by a small office for logistical and administrative support, fundraising, communications and management. The foundation board is ultimately responsible for the organization. In addition, there is an unpaid professional council with experts in the various fields that concern iMMO’s work, such as lawyers, doctors and experts or trauma and transcultural psychiatry. The council is chaired by a judge.

Management, staff and employees

Annemieke Keunen

Director

Noëlle van Bodegom

Lawyer

Marilou van Bueren

Project coordinator

Marijke Buiskool

Physician

Noortje de Haan

Physician

Elsbeth Kors

Clinical psychologist

Riëtte Mellink

Psychotherapist

Karin Prinsen

GZ-Psychologist

Jet Steen

Psychologist

Martin Stolk

Communications and Fundraising

Irene Vissers

Physician

Board

Jan van Duijn

President

Erik Heijdelberg

Vice President

Nelke Manders

Secretary

Koos Spanjer

Treasurer

Professional Council

Jennifer Nicholson (chair)

Jennifer Nicholson has been a judge since 2009 and served on the immigration court from 2014 to 2024.

Evert Bloemen

is a doctor at Pharos, expertise center Health Disparities, and among other things concerned with medical aspects in immigration policy. He has written several publications on this subject and provides courses for healthcare professionals, lawyers and IND.

Marcelle Reneman

is Director of Skills at the Law Faculty of the University of Amsterdam. She specializes in legal questions related to asylum procedures, such as the burden of proof of asylum seekers and duty of investigation of the state, the valuation of medical evidence and judicial review.

Samrad Ghane

Samrad Ghane is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and medical anthropologist. With his expertise in cultural psychiatry and global mental health, he has been involved in numerous culturally sensitive mental health programs and guidelines both within and outside the Netherlands. Samrad is a practitioner, trainer and researcher at the Parnassia Group.

History

Stichting iMMO was founded on July 14, 2011 by Amnesty International NL, ARQ National Psychotrauma Center, ASKV/Steunpunt vluchtelingen, Stichting Medisch Advies Kollektief, Stichting Pharos, Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland and the Johannes Wier Foundation.

iMMO builds on the forensic medical examinations conducted for many years by volunteers from a number of these organizations. At Amnesty International, the Medical Research Group (MOG) had existed since 1977 in which doctors conducted medical examinations of asylum seekers on a voluntary basis to determine the causal relationship between the medical findings and the alleged asylum claim. The Stichting Medisch Advies Kollektief (SMAK) also conducted such examinations since the mid-1980s.

Pharos has provided much medical advice as part of the asylum procedure, and in 2006 the ASKV/Steunpunt Vluchtelingen started the project Meldpunt Asielzoekers met Psychische Problemen (MAPP) (Asylum Seekers with Psychological Problems), from which the present Medical Advice Hearing and Decision was born.

In late 2010, the organizations decided to corporatize medical examinations after which iMMO was established. Since 2012, iMMO has been providing forensic medical examinations.