24 September 2024
RefugeeHelp
Articles on Dutch culture and asylum procedures, created in cooperation with RefugeeHelp (VluchtelingenWerk Nederland).
For newcomers to the Netherlands, building intimate relationships can be challenging. Palestinian Dana (31) and Syrian Rami Drakzouni (26) share their experiences of relationships in their first years in the Netherlands.
What is it like to give birth in the Netherlands, far away from the customs you grew up with? Hanan, Leticia, Koyonga and Ashura share their experiences with journalist Esther Muwombi.
Want to compete in the Netherlands? Then you have to cycle, says Afghan journalist Ghulamullah Habibi. At any time of the day, you see people cycling: from young to old, male or female, rich or poor. His two compatriots, Sayed Sadaqat and Taib Afghan, also see this: “It's surprising, but everyone cycles here.”
During the asylum procedure in the Netherlands, you usually have two interviews with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). After that, the IND decides whether you can stay or not. Samer says: “I was tense, but it wasn't too bad in the end.”
If you get a residence permit asylum in the Netherlands, you often have to wait a long time for a house. And you don't know in advance where you will live. Eddie and Erica were in this situation. “The housing crisis affects everyone.”
The stories Ramy Weiss (33) from Syria heard about finding work in the Netherlands were sometimes discouraging. Yet he has now found a job as an engineer. The same profession he had in Syria. “As a refugee, you are just as qualified for work as someone from Europe,” he says.”
