As prices rise, more and more people find it difficult to make ends meet. This certainly applies to a group that doesn’t have easy life anytime: people who don’t have valid residence documents. How did they persevere in this difficult time?
Umarr sighed. Of course, he also needs to face inflation . He said: "A bag of rice was originally 1.25 euros, now 2.20 euros, and all prices are rising." Umarr, 35, fled Sierra Leone in 2017 and finally came to Netherlands .
Dangerous
In his motherland, he is a technician. He cablings in the building so that the internet connection can be provided. In the Netherlands, he was not allowed to work. IND rejected his asylum application because Umarr could not fully demonstrate that he was indeed from Sierra Leone. "I really can't go back, my country is dangerous to me." A lawyer is dealing with his incident.
Umarr through a foundation live somewhere in Utrecht . He is willing to work, but it is not that simple. “Sometimes I can take over other people’s delivery or clear the water work, but it’s also hard to find.”
Anyone who stays in the Netherlands illegally or without a license has a hard time scheduling anything because these people cannot get a citizen service number (BSN). People with BSN actually "exist" and can arrange things like health insurance . Undocumented immigrants need to rely entirely on themselves, their own social networks, or foundations dedicated to helping them.
Tens of thousands of
"We don't know how many undocumented immigrants in the Netherlands are, and there will be tens of thousands of people anyway," said Rian Ederveen of the LOS Foundation (National Undocumented Immigration Support Center).
There is a network
NRC pointed out in the headlines in mid-September that many Deliveroo and UberEats food delivery workers are illegal immigrants. This shows that it is easy to obtain undeclared work. Ederveen also agreed with Umarr. "In order to find a job, you need to know some people and have a little connection." Herrie Hoogenboom, the union director of the immigrant family workers, also saw that unauthorized immigration was even more difficult. "They are usually very law-abiding people. They have been living in fear of being discovered, so they don't even run red lights."
Hoogenboom supports people who are still working "informal" like cleaners or nanny. FNV hopes that the work will go formal so that people can pay taxes on their income and thus gain more rights. Furthermore, undeclared jobs are always punished: both workers and employers may receive additional assessments or fines.
Dark side
Hoogenboom: "As FNV said: we focus on work, not undocumented immigration. Although we do think they should be able to make money in a legal way."
"Because they live in the dark side now, and they also face terrible abuse, for example, people have to hand over their passports and be exploited."
New blow to inflation
Hoogenboom is worried about the consequences of inflation. The COVID-19 era is also a difficult time as many people lose their jobs as cleaners. "Then we set up an emergency fund, and we can use it to support people."
He believes that this situation can also cause problems. "But overall, our supporters are well organized."
stressed
"You can't make your dream come true," Umarr said. "I want to be a plumber, but it's almost impossible."
He said that IND's actions should be faster, too. "People are crazy because of the uncertainty of identity approval, which can cause a lot of psychological pressure."
He lives on day by day, and that's all he can do. “At least I’m safe here.”
This article is compiled and compiled by China-Dutch Business Daily. The source must be indicated for reprinting!
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