For six months they have been in the church of church church Open Hof in the middle of a residential area in Kampen. Karine and Aleksandr Babyants and their four children Aram, Ariana, Amelia and Aleksa. And still there is no solution for the family.
On the other side of the church is a small community center with a supermarket, cafeteria and a greengrocer. The family lives nearby, but it might as well be the other side of the country. None of them can go outside, because that threatens arrest and deportation from the Netherlands.
In November 2024 the family flee to church. All legal roads had already been followed and rejected. The family has to go back to Uzbekistan. That while the youngest children were born in the Netherlands and the two oldest children came to the Netherlands with their parents at a young age. That’s not right, said pastor Kasper Jager. “We had to do this. If the state does not protect children, we as a church have to do that. And that has not changed after six months.”
As long as a worship is held, the government is not allowed to take in to take the Babayants family. Since November 21, two hours in the afternoon, predecessors and volunteers are present. “All those hundreds of volunteers, the hundreds of predecessors who come here. There is no one who asks” when are we going to stop? “, Says Dominee Jager. “That question is not on the agenda. Much more is required from ‘what do you need?'”
It means that the family has not been outside for half a year now. But daughter Ariana is easy. “If you live in an asylum seekers’ center you always have to think if the police are coming, because then you will be arrested. But here it’s just peace. Chill.” Aram appeals to his younger sister. “It doesn’t feel like half a year. Time is fast here compared to the time in the AZC. I think we have more peace here.”
The church feels supported in its decision by developments at the AZC in Emmen. A family was arrested there whose mother came from Nigeria nine years ago. The youngest daughter of them was born here. Aram Babayants is friends with Isaac, the son of the family that is now waiting for expansion in Zeist.
“Since the day he came behind those walls, we call every day,” says Aram. “Half an hour, an hour. I say ‘Bro, will be fine. Hold on’. He knows that I am there for him, and other people too. That is important, because that is some friends to do. Being there in difficult times. Also in good ones, but it is difficult.”
Ariana and Aram remain positive. Also because they can’t do much else, says Aram. “If you don’t stay positive, it brings nothing good. I have three sisters and have to give the good example. So always stay positive and say ‘it will be fine’. And it will usually be fine.”
Although politics is currently no movement, Pastor Jager keeps good hope. Not only for the Babayants family, but for all rooted children. Children who have been in the Netherlands for more than five years. “I make a call to politics, but also to the media and all the people in the country. See what is going on, delve into this and come up with a real solution.”