‘They say I can clean in a supermarket. But I'm an engineer’

Jephias calls himself “still a teacher” even though he has not taught for years. “You don't lose who you are,” he says. He taught at the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Johannesburg and Addis Ababa University. In Zimbabwe, he was also president of the university teachers' union and helped organise demonstrations for better working conditions. He says he was arrested, mistreated and left unconscious in a forest. His back was broken in three places. He still receives medical treatment every four months in Amsterdam.

For seven years, Jephias has been living in asylum shelters and temporary housing. He stayed in Eindhoven and Roermond before arriving in Amsterdam. After leaving a night shelter, he became homeless. Despite his qualifications, including additional studies in solar energy in the Netherlands, he struggled to get a residence permit - and thus a job. After a rejected asylum application, he lived for a period as an undocumented migrant in the Netherlands. Eventually, with support from the Amsterdam Solidarity Committee for Refugees (ASKV), he was able to return to the asylum procedure. Now he lives in an asylum centre in Amsterdam.

“My daily life was terrible,” he says softly. “I was always busy, had to check hundreds of assignments. Now I wake up, eat, sleep. My life just stands still.”

Proud

Without a residence permit, it is difficult for Jephias to practise his profession. Although he has Dutch qualifications and is registered as specialising in solar energy, employers say he needs a permit. “They say I can clean in a supermarket,” he says. “But I am an engineer. I am proud of my profession.”
He receives €14 per week. From that amount, he has to pay for transport and personal expenses. “I used to earn the equivalent of €5,000 a month,” he says. “It's degrading.”

And it's not just about the money. Jephias has not seen his family for seven years. He missed the weddings of his son and his daughter. The uncertainty also affects his mental health. He is currently receiving psychotherapy at a trauma centre in Amsterdam and is on sleep medication. “You keep thinking: will I ever get out of this situation?”

Engagement

Jephias feels that asylum seekers and undocumented migrants are often not heard in political debates. “When you come here as a refugee, your life stands still,” he says. “For an engineer, if you stop him, technology develops further. It becomes difficult to keep up.”
Local policies on asylum reception and support for undocumented migrants are therefore key issues for the upcoming municipal elections. Municipalities are responsible for emergency shelter, social support and access to basic health care. According to Jephias, more involvement is needed. “People don't know who we are,” he says. “But we can contribute. We can help further develop Amsterdam.” Hence, Jephias is also an ‘ambassador’ at the Ubuntu Embassy, an Amsterdam-based foundation that aims to give newcomers and undocumented refugees a voice and face. Ubuntu ambassadors act as speakers and give workshops.

Around his neck, Jephias still wears the keys to his old university office in Zimbabwe. He has been keeping them for seven years. “They have emotional value,” he says as he shows them off. “That office was my life. I still believe that that life can come back.”
At 60, almost sixty-one, he calls himself a warrior. He quotes Nelson Mandela: “There is a long road to freedom.” For Jephias, that road continues - this time in Amsterdam.

Undocumented migrants in Amsterdam

Between 10,000 and 30,000 undocumented people live in Amsterdam, according to the Ombudsman. This is a rough estimate because they are hardly in the authorities' sights. Many deliberately lead as invisible an existence as possible for fear of deportation. Undocumented migrants are not entitled to regular social benefits, but have access to medically necessary care under Dutch law.

The current cabinet wants to criminalise ‘illegal residence’. That plan has yet to be approved by the Senate. A majority of the parties in the Amsterdam city council have passed a motion saying they will not enforce the law, if passed.

This election special was produced in collaboration with Network Newcomers Amsterdam (NNA). The NNA is funded by the Amsterdam municipality.