False harmonies Schallen over the country estate: Harmonie orchestra Crescendo Elden-Arnhem votes the instruments, mainly blazers. A toddler laughs hard, covers her ears and runs away towards the bouncy castle, where two other children are shuffling back and forth. When the voting round is over, teen Eddy raises two thumbs in the air. The musical ensemble starts.
The performance of the orchestra – African, Arabic and Dutch songs – is in a reception location for asylum seekers in Arnhem, on the occasion of the annual open days of asylum seekers’ centers. They are intended to introduce local residents to the residents of the centers and to get an impression of life there.
A festive day often, especially for the children for whom it can mean the necessary distraction. Eddy is one of the two residents who play in the orchestra. The children are also allowed by druming with drum sticks on stools. What follows is a composition of roffel, gekir and crow.
Pile
This year the atmosphere around the open days was less festive – rather grim. Last week an extreme right -wing demonstration against the asylum policy in The Hague ran out on violent and racist riots. The following days, other incidents followed with AZCs of opponents, such as Koran burning at an AZC in Hoofddorp and a violent demonstration in Doetinchem. As a precaution, different locations did not participate in the open days at the last minute. The locations that did open the doors screwed up the security.
Where asylum seekers’ centers often encounter resistance from local residents and residents of the centers on hostility, there is no protest in Arnhem. According to location manager Ilonka Scholten, the emphasis of the municipality of Arnhem is on guidance and participation. “By organizing lessons and activities with local residents, we help our residents a good start in the Netherlands. That works much better than having people petered.”
That is what the 29-year-old Palestinian Hebah (for safety reasons without the last name, is known to the editors), who lived at this location until last week. She lived in the last five years at six different reception locations. Arnhem was by far the nicest, she says. “A lot is organized, at night there is always someone present for when something is wrong and the location is in the city, so that we can become part of it.”
One of the lessons that are given here is Yogales, says Hebah. “That is perhaps the most important, because there is a lot of stress here.” Especially waiting for a work permit sometimes makes you despondent, she says: “We have so much to offer, but are sitting away here because we are not allowed to work.”
She herself was trained as a care worker, she would prefer to perform that profession here now that she has recently had a work permit. But for that she should complete the training and do an internship, which is difficult because of the language barrier. She is thinking about training in the cyber security. “I prefer to work in healthcare and people are needed in the Netherlands, but the care system is less accessible.”
Hebah lived the longest in Arnhem for two years. People live here in anticipation of a residence permit, Heh has recently received it. That is why she now lives in an AZC in Vennep. “I miss it here, it is really different here.”
But also in Arnhem it was sometimes tough. During a tour she shows one of the rooms: a small, bare, square room with four beds close together. “The rooms are actually too small for four people. Even with family or your best friends, there will inevitably argue if you are so close together. Let alone with strangers.” She was in the room with a smoker, who liked to smoke inside in the winter. Hebah has asthma.
Learn Dutch
There are also two classrooms: one for adults and one for children. The local for adults is usually full of different people, Hebah says: “The elderly, young people, scholars, illiterate ones: we all start with Dutch at zero.” Some already know the Latin script, others still have to learn that, such as Hebah at the time. “Here I received an ABC book. I really wanted that earlier. This writing is so difficult for us.”
In the classroom for children, primary school, it’s all about Handpop Rex. He experiences “all adventures,” says one of the teachers, and tells about it with 25 new Dutch words every day. Quite a lot. “We want the children to get used to the language as soon as possible,” says the teacher.
Visitor Kitty Rodriguez works around the corner in childcare, where children from the AZC also go. “I hope to get to know something more about their world today.” Other visitors live in the neighborhood, and want to get to know their neighbors better this afternoon. A young couple inquires about the joint neighborhood activities.
Despite a neighborhood involved, the negative sentiment in society also has an impact here, according to location manager Scholten. “As employees, we sometimes ask each other: do you dare to say that you are working for the COA? With a day like this we show that we have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Employee Karin Heinstra was also worried, especially after the riots in The Hague. “It was shot through my head a few times this morning. What if?” But this Saturday hatred in Arnhem stays outside the door. An older resident serves Ash, a Persian soup. Another rotates the volume button of the amplifiers. Time to dance.
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