Status holders who move frequently are less likely to get a job

• Rollinde Hoorntje

  Domestic editor

<a href="https://www.world-today-news.com/downturn-for-minister-the-netherlands-may-not-return-greek-status-holders-inland/" title="Downturn for minister: The Netherlands may not return 'Greek' status holders | Inland”>Syrian asylum seekers granted residency between 2014 and 2016 had a poor start in society. Because of the many moves and the long time they lived in the shelter, they had less access to (paid) work than the asylum seekers who stayed in the shelter for a shorter time. The negative effects of this are still evident years later, research shows.

The research was carried out by the Scientific Research and Data Center (WODC), Erasmus University, CBS and RIVM.

A representative group of war refugees from Syria was followed for a longer period of time for the research. The situation of these Syrians is somewhat similar to the situation of asylum seekers in the reception center now, says WODC researcher Kasper Otten. “Although it looks like asylum seekers will now have to stay at the reception center even longer.”

The length of time they stay in COA places, the number of moves during the reception period and the completion of integration all affect the speed at which people of status move on from social support to work

Every extra month an asylum seeker spends at the reception center slows down the speed at which they find work, the research shows. These effects are still visible two years after leaving the shelter.

Women who have moved twice have a 34 percent lower chance of leaving benefits (for work) than women who did not move during their shelter period. Men who have moved three or more times have a 32.3 percent lower chance of leaving benefits than men who have not moved. These differences are still evident up to seven years later.

It has already become clear that Syrian status holders often act below their level previous research. The impact of the integration policy, the reception policy and the dispersion policy on job opportunities, participation in society and mental health has now also been examined.

Those who stay in shelters for a long time start to integrate later and find work later. As a result of the long time, people lose skills and knowledge. In addition, there are also physical consequences such as wear and tear, the researchers say.

So they argue for a shorter shelter time and actively offer daytime activities in the shelter, such as (direction to) work or volunteering. That advice is against the cabinet’s plans, which call for ‘smaller reception areas‘.

“Active care, with opportunities to take language lessons, work or volunteer, has a long-term positive effect on learning Dutch and increases employment opportunities,” says a researcher WODC Otten.

Nizar Karkout (66), who came to the Netherlands with his wife in 2015, has experience with this. In Syria they had an engineering company, but in the Netherlands he had to wait in a shelter for two years before being told if he could stay. “For me it made a lot of difference, those two years. After that you have to integrate for another three years. I did it faster to get a job, otherwise I would have to resign.”

Karkout stayed in several emergency shelters before ending up in an asylum center in Arnhem, where he received Dutch lessons twice a week and also started learning Dutch himself, as will 54 percent of asylum seekers. He also started doing voluntary work for the Dutch Refugee Council.

Work was important to Karkout: “Sitting at home means you get lazy and it’s not good for your mental health.” You have to do something. Getting colleagues, talking to people, that’s important, otherwise your brain goes down. society, paying taxes, not receiving benefits, becoming independent: work means you can go where you want, you are free.”

Karkout now works at the bicycle shed at the Central Station in Leiden.

As a result of the Syrian civil war, thousands of refugees come to the Netherlands every year. If the Syrians are allowed to stay in the Netherlands, they will be assigned a place to stay. They cannot decide for themselves where they will live.

This government’s redistributive policy means that not everyone with status has an equal chance of finding paid work, the research shows. The number of jobs available (and suitable) varies from region to region. It is better for people who have status to live in areas where there is a greater chance of finding work.