Category Archives: refugees in Europe

Statistical truth about problems caused by asylum seekers in the Netherlands

01 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by in immigration, Netherlands, refugees in Europe

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Dear Reader,

Research has been done in the Netherlands over whether fears about lack of safety of a few years ago have been justified in some places. The article below was published this morning in the Volkskrant about the findings of a huge research done at the behest of the Dutch Research and Documentation Centre of the Department of Justice. The findings are presented in more detail in the Dutch House of Representatives Today.

My translation of the article can be read below. To my mind, it points towards “untruths” given to residents of most Middle-European people by propaganda reporting “neighbourhoods in the city of (you name it) in” Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain etc, where “locals do not dare to go out into the streets”, “which are ruled by hordes of migrants” and the like, even making bold statements about the Netherlands based on statements and opinions by Gerd Wilders, leader of the second most supported party in the country. Whoever can claim for sure that the Netherlands is an exception from these phenomena are absolved of the burden of reading about the situation there, but others are advised to read the article to learn about the truth. I think the Netherlands is just as representative of the problems as the other countries mentioned above, consequently, these findings may be indicative of the true size of the problems in other parts of Europe.

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” ‘Robuust’ research proves: Setting up a refugee centre does not lead to less safety in the neighbourhood

The WODC has examined statistical data from the CBS.

Safety in a neighbourhood does not decline after the arrival of a reception centre for asylum seekers. Local residents face no more risk of becoming victims of crime. This is the conclusion of the Research and Documentation Centre of the Department of Justice (WODC) after an analysis of statistical data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The results will be presented to the House on Thursday.

By: Marjon Bolwijn, 1 February 2018, 02:00

Fear of insecurity and rising crime three years ago was a major reason for strong protests from citizens in several municipalities where asylum seekers’ centres were planned. In 2014 and 2015 the number of asylum seekers, particularly from Syria and Eritrea, sharply rose. Sometimes citizens’ protests turned into riots and police intervention.

Meanwhile, the influx of asylum seekers has abated and the discussion has been silenced. The question remains whether opponents of a reception centre were right in saying that insecurity would increase. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice asked the WODC to investigate. Conclusion: the chance of becoming a victim of a criminal offence has not demonstrably risen with the arrival of a reception centre for asylum seekers. Researchers have found that there is a difference of 0.03 percent, which is statistically “insignificant”.

‘Rabble-rousing’

‘Robust research, no question’, says criminologist Jan van Dijk of Tilburg University. The results do not surprise him. ‘The vast majority of asylum seekers are keen to make something of their lives. They think ten times before they commit a crime,’ says Van Dijk. In his opinion, the conclusions of the WODC suggest that the protests were ‘a projection of fears’ and ‘rabble-rousing by a political party as the PVV’.

The WODC compared all the inhabitants of Dutch neighbourhoods with and without asylum seekers in 2015, 2010 and 2005. It was also examined whether registered crime in neighbourhoods was higher in years with than in years without asylum seekers in the period 2010-2015. In addition, the researchers compared offender profiles of asylum seekers with those of other population groups.

Safe countries

It is not that no asylum seekers commit offences. Earlier research already showed that mainly light property crimes, such as shoplifting, are involved. Because the safety in the neighbourhood does not demonstrably change after the arrival of an asylum centre, the researchers of the WODC suspect criminal offences committed in the reception centre itself or in a city centre in the wider area will presumably be committed. Two-thirds of the offenders are young men from safe countries in North Africa, for example, who do not have a chance to get a residence permit. ‘Adventurers who have nothing to lose,”says criminologist Jan van Dijk.

Compared to their counterparts of similar age, counterparts of the same gender, and people with low socio-economic status among the Dutch population, asylum seekers are somewhat under-represented in police statistics, also when it comes to sexual crimes. The majority of the offences are committed by young men. ‘If a few thousand people are added, it makes sense that crime will increase, but in absolute terms, we are talking about small numbers’, says Jan Wahideh of the WODC.

The greatest outrage over asylum seekers was felt in de Beverwaard, but there is nothing left of it there

The suffering from asylum seekers that residents of Rotterdam were afraid of at the coming of asylum seekers has not materialised. This is consistent with the findings of the WODC Research Institute. ‘We were stirred up,’ says a resident in the neighbourhood. (+)”

Full article with additional statistics: https://www.volkskrant.nl/4564736

I’ll soon translate the original into Hungarian for those of my former compatriots who do not comprehend the text in English.

by P.S.

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In honour of the immigrant 2

20 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in immigration, refugees in Europe

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As I promised in my previous post a few days ago, I’m posting the translation of the article of de Volkskrant published on 16th April, written by a guest columnist.

I publish the article in English in honour of my PhD friend working for CALTEC at the moment, who comes from Iraq originally and proves most points below. Being an Arab, a G.P., fluent in three languages, well-versed in European and world literature, a devotee of J.S.Bach, whose smaller piano pieces he began to learn at 28 years of age as his first ever piano pieces, he is a gifted and internationally quoted microbiologist with a bright career ahead of him.

I’d like to warn my readers, though, that, towards the end, the text could be seriously misunderstood or misinterpreted. Please do not construe the writer’s words as a threat to the existing society – the intention is to show the sheer effort, value and positive effect immigrants add to the existing society. The intended change the writer means is the change to inward-looking thinking some original natives of the country apply against those added values. It is to show that people should not consider immigrants as different in colour or culture, but as people who add their own talent and efforts to build a better future.

Here comes my translation.

“Guest column: an ode to the immigrant

GUEST COLUMN In spite of the barriers that the Dutch society erects, thanks to his own effort, the black-and sand-coloured Dutchman has made a historic success of his own part of the integration process, argues guest columnist Izz ad-Din Rahman.

Izz ad-Din Rahman 16 april 2017, 07:00

Often, a tragedy forms the basis for migration. No one voluntarily chooses to leave his homeland for good. Persecution. Hunger. War. Hopelessness. Forced by the colonizer and quartered in former Nazi camps. A tragedy that has left deep wounds, sometimes still noticeable to the fifth generation.

 

In spite of the visible and invisible barriers that the Dutch society erects, thanks to his own effort, the black-and sand-coloured Dutchman has made a historic success of his own part of the integration process. The pearl of the nation, who features determination, discipline and endurance.

People who often came to Netherlands with empty hands as guest workers or refugees are now directors, politicians, journalists, officers, judges, lawyers, tax advisors, entrepreneurs, surgeons, engineers and architects. The immigrant has taken over complete business sectors, or has revived them himself. From nothing, they have built vibrant communities, which now form the backbone of the economy of the Randstad. It is the black-and sand-coloured Dutchman who sustains the public and commercial life in the power centres.

 

Blood, sweat and tears

From his first steps in the sandpit, the black-and sand-coloured Dutchman has been fighting for his position in this country with blood, sweat and tears. The long way from the elementary school teacher and his framework advice at the technical school up to the professors who unsuccessfully try to bring down their thesis. Graduation with honours while his parents sometimes can’t even read.

From the harshest of conditions, he has shown what it means to be a fighter. The hopelessness of the concrete jungles and the uncertainty of the asylum procedures could not break the immigrant – on the contrary, it has armed him with unique experiences that bring out the best human qualities from the black-and sand-coloured Dutchman.

For many, that path has not been strewn with roses. For some, sheer agony. Of poverty. Of raids and round-ups. Of less, less and less. Of having to take too great responsibilities too early. The stabbings and shootings. The traffickers. The lonely abortion and the infants in the containers. Periods of despair and destitution. Losing everything and starting again. Going on despite setbacks or wrong choices. Not giving up, not losing sight of the objective. Soldier. A generation of lions make an act of presence.

This is a generation that does not allow you to tell them that they should be grateful. No, it is precisely the Netherlands that should be grateful to this generation for the energy they put into this reclaimed swamp. The success of the black- and sand-coloured Dutchman is purely the result of his own excellence. Of the courage to stand firm in a hostile climate that disclaimed him before he was born at all.

In particular, the immigrant who took his first steps in the conservative environment of predominantly white-populated offices. To have to be in a completely different world from nine to five and not speak about the stupid ideas that regularly circulate around the coffee machine is gruelling. It takes character to hold your ground in this mental torture chambers. Keep your head up. We support you.

No victimization

This is a generation that realizes that they can stand on their own feet. Which does not allow victimization by those who would rather see us fail because they need empirical evidence to support their sociological theories about perpetrators and victims. Or even worse: to make a PROFIT out of them. No, the black and sand-coloured Dutchman knows: a butterfly that is pulled out of its cocoon will be permanently maimed. This generation cannot be maimed by those whose degree of sympathy correlates with our level of subordination.

Glass ceiling? Even a ceiling of reinforced concrete will not stop us. We have the talent. We have the numbers. The hostile discourse in the media is just a last gasp of a social order that knows its days are numbered.

The stubborn black- and sand-coloured Dutchman ruthlessly deals with any obstacle that stands in the way of its emancipation and success. He does not need to be saved, helped, protected or being pulled ahead. He does not want to be the object of other people’s urge to have a clean conscience. Diamonds are formed under extreme pressure. All those elements that, according to the statisticians, make us fail at birth, created exactly the opposite: a whole generation of gemstones that shine far beyond the horizon.

It is this generation that paves the way for those who come after us. I am proud of my dark-eyed soldiers, the future of my country. A shout-out to all fighters: life can give me no greater honour than to be able to call you my contemporaries.

Shout-out majesty to the queen of Amsterdam-West.

Izz ad-Din Rahman is a publicist and a guest columnist of de Volkskrant this month.”

by P.S.

 

 

 

In honour of the immigrant 1

17 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by in Dutch culture, European Union, immigration, language learning, Netherlands, refugees in Europe

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These are difficult times for people who have come to settle and find work and peace in countries other than their own countries of origin. Lots have been spoken and written about ‘migrants’ from various regions of the world, most notably in Europe and the USA. Although migration and ‘migrate’ have meanings mostly characterized by temporariness, looking for work and then relocating, they are now used heavily against people basically fleeing from hellish circumstances in their native lands.

The European Union has been wrestling with the influx of ‘migrants’ for quite a while. Germans seem to have forgotten that it was them who invited a couple of millions of Turkish workers for their own needs decades ago – and then forgot to teach them German), other big EU countries have large immigrant communities from their own former colonies, some others, like Sweden, have been supporting them well for decades (I have former classmates completely integrated there since the 1980’s), whereas a few others have borne the brunt of desperate people fleeing Africa and the Middle-East simply because they (Italy and Greece) are the closest to the danger zones. And then again, there are a few, like Hungary, who are neither very close, nor coveted target countries for those ‘migrating’ masses, but seem to be unable to understand that every coin has two sides – they only see the dark, threatening side of it, as if their own people were saints and had never endangered others themselves.

I don’t want to argue with anyone here, I just want to share an excellent article written by a ‘foreigner’, a ‘stranger’, an ‘outsider’ or an ‘immigrant’ in the Netherlands. The word in the title of the article, “allochtoon” means all these in Dutch and it’s very difficult to define more precisely how a Dutch person is using the word at a given moment so please don’t blame me for any of the English equivalents. However, being an “allochtoon” in the country myself, I’d like to remind people of the huge potential values that anybody settling abroad from outside can bring to any nation where they settle. I’d also like to allow the Netherlands to stand as an example before others as to how it is possible to welcome ‘strangers’ into a society and to appreciate them.

I dedicate quoting this article to my friend from Iraq as well. He arrived in the Netherlands nearly ten years ago as a trained young doctor with some English language knowledge. He learned Dutch within a few years, took a Masters in microbiology, then went on to receive a PhD with a thesis written in English, defended his thesis in fluent Dutch and received a scholarship to work at CALTEC. In the meantime, his thesis was awarded the prize for the best PhD thesis in his field over two years in the Netherlands, and this year he won over one hundred thousand Euros from the Rubicon foundation to follow his research wherever he intends to do so. I know that only very few of us are so gifted as him, but just think for a moment what an honour it would be to welcome such people in your country where local propaganda is fuelled by local fears about such people simply because they are ‘different’. I’d very much like to be so different sometimes.

The publication of the article you can read here and also supply below was timed for Easter Sunday, probably not without a reason. It is in Dutch, but for those who can’t understand it (although GoogleTranslate could provide a reasonable idea), I’ll translate it and publish the English version soon.

by P.S.

“Gastcolumn: een ode aan de allochtoon

GASTCOLUMN In weerwil van de barrières die de Nederlandse samenleving opwerpt, heeft de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander op eigen kracht zíjn deel van het integratieproces tot een historisch succes gemaakt, betoogt gastcolumnist Izz ad-Din Ruhulessin.

Izz ad-Din Ruhulessin 16 april 2017, 07:00

Vaak ligt er een tragedie ten grondslag aan migratie. Niemand kiest er vrijwillig voor om zijn geboortegrond voorgoed te verlaten. Vervolging. Honger. Oorlog. Uitzichtloosheid. Gedwongen door de kolonisator en in voormalige Nazikampen ondergebracht. Een tragedie die diepe wonden achterlaat, soms voelbaar tot in de vijfde generatie.

 

In weerwil van de zichtbare en onzichtbare barrières die de Nederlandse samenleving voor ons opwerpt, heeft de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander op eigen kracht zíjn deel van het integratieproces tot een historisch succes gemaakt. De parel der natie, die zich laat kenmerken door vastberadenheid, discipline en uithoudingsvermogen.

Mensen, die vaak met lege handen als gastarbeiders of vluchtelingen naar Nederland kwamen, zijn nu directeuren, politici, journalisten, officieren, rechters, juristen, fiscalisten, ondernemers, chirurgen, ingenieurs en architecten. De allochtoon nam complete bedrijfstakken over, of blies er zelf het leven in. Vanuit niets bouwde hij bruisende gemeenschappen op, die nu de ruggengraat vormen van de Randstedelijke economie. Het is de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander die het publieke en commerciële leven in de machtscentra van ons land gaande houdt.

 

Bloed, zweet en tranen

Vanaf zijn eerste stappen in de zandbak heeft de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander zijn positie in dit land met bloed, zweet en tranen bevochten. De lange weg van de basisschoolleraar en zijn VMBO-kaderadvies naar de professoren die tevergeefs het proefschrift proberen neer te sabelen. Cum laude afstuderen terwijl zijn ouders soms niet eens kunnen lezen.

Vanuit de meest barre omstandigheden toonde hij wat het betekent om een strijder te zijn. De uitzichtloosheid van de betonnen jungles en de onzekerheid van de asielprocedures hebben de allochtoon niet kunnen breken, integendeel, het heeft hem gewapend met unieke ervaringen, die in de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander de meest deugdzame menselijke eigenschappen naar boven halen.

Voor velen ging dat pad niet over rozen. Voor sommigen een regelrechte lijdensweg. Van armoede. Van invallen en razzia’s. Van minder, minder, minder. Van te vroeg te grote verantwoordelijkheden moeten dragen. De steek- en schietpartijen. De mensenhandelaars. De eenzame abortus en de pasgeborenen in de containers. Perioden van wanhoop en rampspoed. Alles verliezen en opnieuw beginnen. Blijven doorgaan, ondanks tegenslagen of verkeerde keuzes. Niet opgeven en het doel voor ogen houden. Soldier. Een generatie van leeuwen maakt acte-de-presence.

Dit is een generatie die zich niet laat vertellen dat ze dankbaar moet zijn. Nee, het is juist Nederland dat deze generatie dankbaar moet zijn om de energie die zij in dit drooggemalen moeras steekt. Het succes van de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander is zuiver het resultaat van zijn eigen excellentie. Van de moed om de rug recht te houden in een vijandig klimaat dat hem al afwees voordat hij überhaupt werd geboren.

In het bijzonder de allochtoon die als eerste stappen zette in het conservatieve milieu van de overwegend door witte mensen bevolkte kantoren. Van negen tot vijf in een totaal andere wereld moeten zijn is slopend, om maar niet te spreken over de stompzinnige opvattingen die daar dikwijls bij het koffiezetapparaat de ronde doen. Het vergt karakter om jezelf staande te houden in deze mentale martelkamers. Keep your head up. Wij staan achter je.

Geen slachtofferschap

Dit is een generatie die beseft dat zij op eigen benen kan staan. Die laat zich geen slachtofferschap aanpraten door degenen die ons liever zien falen omdat zij empirisch bewijs nodig hebben voor hun sociologische theorieën over daders en slachtoffers. Of erger nog: daar GELD aan verdienen. Nee, de zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander weet: een vlinder die uit zijn cocon wordt getrokken zal blijvend verminkt zijn. Deze generatie laat zich niet verminken door degenen wier mate van sympathie correleert met onze mate van ondergeschiktheid.

Glazen plafond? Zelfs een plafond van gewapend beton gaat ons niet tegenhouden. We hebben het talent. We hebben de aantallen. Het vijandige discours in de media is slechts een laatste stuiptrekking van een sociale orde die weet dat haar dagen zijn geteld.

De weerbarstige zwarte- en zandkleurige Nederlander rekent genadeloos af met elk obstakel dat zijn emancipatie en succes in de weg staat. Hij hoeft niet gered, geholpen, beschermd of voorgetrokken te worden. Hij wenst niet het object te zijn van andermans drang om een schoon geweten te hebben. Diamanten vormen zich onder extreme druk. Al de factoren die volgens de statistici ons geboren om te falen maken, produceerden juist het tegenovergestelde: een hele generatie van edelstenen die tot ver over de horizon schitteren.

Het is deze generatie die de weg plaveit voor degenen die na ons komen. Ik ben trots op mijn donkerogige soldiers, de toekomst van mijn land. Shoutout naar alle strijders; het leven kan mij geen grotere eer schenken dan jullie tot mijn generatiegenoten te mogen rekenen.

Shoutout-majestatis naar de Koningin van Amsterdam-West.”

Izz ad-Din Ruhulessin is publicist en deze maand gastcolumnist van de Volkskrant.

 

 

Teach Dutch to refugees

17 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by in applying for a job in the Netherlands, Dutch culture, education, European Union, foreign language teaching, immigration, learning Dutch, refugees in Europe

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Lots of talk has been going on in all forums and media about the refugee crisis in Europe over the past months. A major problem for people who can actually have a relevant effect on events seems to be having to navigate between the Scylla of generous humanitarian help and the Charybdis of strict rejection.

As far as I know, the Netherlands is fairly quiet about the matter as the brunt of the problem seems to have to be borne by Southern- and Eastern-European countries, Austria, Germany and Sweden, but I know of situations where the “my home is my castle” notion has already come to work at a few places here where real refugees in actual neighbourhoods were planned to be lodged.

The Netherlands has been one of a few countries, in my view, which has a history of taking perhaps the singularly most important helpful action in the event of receiving refugees, the importance of which Germany has just been getting acquainted with: teaching the language of the host nation. When I was young, geography classes dealt with how many Turkish temporary workers were employed in Germany. Since we were informed that they actually remained in Germany for a long time and took over jobs that Germans themselves were loth to do, I’ve always thought they were integrated into the society. In the political turmoil of recent months, I’ve been proven wrong.

Well, I’m one of the beneficiaries of Dutch efficiency about teaching Dutch to foreigners as I’ve already described earlier. In line with that system, the other day I received an invitation to help teach Dutch to refugees in Gelderland here as I’m still registered with a number of intermediary organizations. Here is the text of the letter:

“U staat bij ons ingeschreven en momenteel zoeken we naar meerdere docenten NT2 voor diverse locaties en dagdelen. Het gaat om lessen NT2 aan vluchtelingen.
We zijn op zoek naar ZZP-ers, met een CRKBO erkenning (of in ieder geval BTW vrij factureren). Ik benader u nu via een algemene mailing, dus indien u geen ZZP-er bent dan alvast excuus dat ik u deze mail en vacature heb gestuurd.”

Being a language teacher to the core, a ZZP-er providing BTW invoices, and a sort of “economic refugee” myself, and having passed the NT2 exam, I jumped to the occasion. I can at last do something in return for what this system has done for me and a lot of my friends, one of whom, out of Iraq, has just received his PhD at Utrecht University as a microbiologist, so the investment into the language first and foremost may pay off wonderful dividends for those concerned.

Under the link provided in the e-mail, the important points concerning the jobs (needs!) are as follows (I’m not translating this text either – it doesn’t matter for those who don’t understand it, but those who may actually be interested in trying to take one of these positions have to understand it anyway):

“Voor onze opdrachtgever, met diverse locaties in het land, zjin we met spoed op zoek naar ervaren docenten NT2 voor minimaal 3 dagdelen per week. Het betreft een reguliere vacature.

Voor de vacature zoeken we docenten (ZZP-ers met een CRKBO erkenning) die ruime ervaring hebben met het geven van NT2 lessen en ervaring heeft met meerdere niveau’s in 1 groep.
Hieronder een overzicht van de locaties en de dagdelen:

  • Culemborg – exacte lesdagen en tijden nog niet bekend – Startdatum 18-01-2016;
  • Epe – lesdagen: woensdag en vrijdagochtend – Startdatum 20-01-2016;
  • Schijndel – lesdagen: maandag, dinsdag en donderdagochtend – startdatum 26-01-2016;
  • Ede – exacte lesdagen en tijden nog niet bekend – Startdatum 08-02-2016;
  • Wageningen – exacte lesdagen en tijden nog niet bekend – Startdatum 15-02-2016;
  • Zutphen – lesdagen: woensdag en vrijdagmiddag – Startdatum 24-02-2016;
  • Ede – exacte lesdagen en tijden nog niet bekend – Startdatum 14-03-2016, 2 groepen van 2 of 3 dagdelen

Heb je ruime ervaring met het verzorgen van NT2 aan vluchtelingen, ben je langere tijd beschikbaar voor een groep op de bovengenoemde locatie en dagdelen? Ben je ZZP-er die BTW vrij kan factureren? Dan ontvangen wij graag jouw motivatie en cv!

…

De docent die we zoeken:

  • beschikt over een Post HBO NT2, een certificaat NT2 of;
  • beschikt over een Bevoegdheid Basiseducatie of BVE
  • heeft ruime ervaring met het verzorgen van lessen NT2;
  • is ZZP-er en in bezit van VAR WUO of DGA
  • heeft een CRKBO erkenning en/of kan BTW vrij factureren;
  • is beschikbaar voor minimaal 3 dagdelen per week
  • heeft bij voorkeur ervaring met de methodes 7/43, Taalcompleet (Kleurrijker) , Op maat sprong en De Finale”

Here is the link to the site with this and more information, for example about fees offered.

If you consider applying, beware: you really have to fulfil ALL of the above conditions! Consider this: after being invited and having applied, I received no answer for a few days, but a repeat of the invitation (“Wellicht is deze mail aan uw aandacht ontsnapt, vandaar dat ik u nogmaals aanschrijf”). In answer to my second letter reinforcing my intent, I received a flat rejection saying that they are looking for people who fully comply with the requirements.

And here I see a sort of a problem with the system. They are intent on setting up courses, but a week before some of them (are planned to) start, they’re still short of teachers. I doubt again that there are a lot of teachers around who are actually free several mornings of the week and have nothing better to do in the middle of the academic year, and who, further, have not only the enthusiasm but also ‘a lot of experience teaching refugees’ with the particular materials and can provide invoices as ZZP-ers. Most teachers are not ZZP-ers. They teach at schools. They are the ones that taught me and my friends. Those who are ZZP-ers here teach English, not Dutch, and to all kinds of Dutch people at companies and businesses, not to refugees. And quite some of them (hope I’m wrong) actually do not agree with helping refugees in the first place. I mean they are probably British people with a certain degree of notoriety about rejecting foreigners settling down in their country.

So, despite the nice idea, who are going to teach a few hundred refugees in East Netherlands? Not me – I haven’t got the experience, and as a result, never will acquire it, however much I’d like to. Perhaps you? Don’t hesitate, apply if you’d like to do something for a better, still peaceful Europe.

by P.S.