The distribution of status holders, or recognized refugees, across all municipalities in the Netherlands is not conducive to their job opportunities. This is evident from a long-term study by, among others, the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP) among 3,200 Syrian status holders who came to the Netherlands in 2014.
The study examined, among other things, whether it makes a difference to the chances on the labor market in which region a status holder ends up. “The higher the unemployment rate in the region, the less chance status holders have at work or are oriented towards the labor market”, the SCP researchers conclude.
Evaluation of integration policy
Five years ago it was agreed that various scientific bodies would keep an eye on the integration of Syrian and Eritrean refugees. These are the two largest groups of asylum seekers who have come to the Netherlands since the refugee crisis in 2014.
They usually received a residence permit, initially for five years. After those five years, they could become Dutch, provided they passed the integration exam and had learned the Dutch language.
Integration already in azc
Status holders have better job opportunities if they have briefly lived in an asylum seekers’ center, the researchers saw. It helped them if they had already started their integration and learning the Dutch language in the asylum seekers’ center. Status holders then orient themselves on the labor market at an early stage. They also learn Dutch faster and get to know the Dutch culture earlier.
The SCP also saw that voluntary work did not necessarily increase the chances of finding paid work. Possibly because the step to paid work is too big for permit holders who eventually end up in voluntary work, the planning bureau writes. In addition, men appear to have more benefits from integration than women in finding work.
Get a job faster
The labor participation of beneficiaries increases the longer they have been in the Netherlands. There are only striking differences between the countries of origin. People with an Eritrean or Afghan nationality find work faster than Syrian and Iranian status holders. But the latter two groups find better paid and less vulnerable jobs.
Syrian and Iranian status holders seem to be preparing longer to enter the labor market. Finding work quickly has a high priority for Eritrean status holders in particular. This often involves agency work with lower hourly wages.
According to SCP researcher Willem Huijnk, it is exciting what consequences the corona crisis has for these people. “We can say little about that at the moment, but you can imagine that the risk is that these people now find work less easily and lose their job sooner,” he explains. “Almost all of them did flexible work and worked in vulnerable sectors.”
–
