In two weeks, the hotel boat that was used as an emergency shelter for refugees in the port of Huizen will leave. The refugees are gradually being transferred to other locations, despite the good experience that Huizen had with the refugees and vice versa. NH Nieuws spoke with refugees who have stayed on the boat in the past three months.
Refugees almost leave Huizen – NH Nieuws
“When we see how many Dutch people have done for us, we can’t help but love the Netherlands,” says Hakim* emotionally. The warm welcome including successful fundraisersdid not leave the refugees untouched. “On arrival there was immediately a map from the church on our bed. We felt welcome.”
*Hakim is not his real name. His real name is known to the editors.
And that feeling has not gone away during their stay. “When you see how easily the Dutch population helps, you can’t help but be grateful,” says Muhammed. “But in the end, of course, you are here as a refugee.”
This means that they have nothing to say about the continuation of their stay in the Netherlands. For example, some do not yet know to which location they will be transferred. Aslam already knows: “I’m going to Wageningen.” But he has no idea what it looks like there or where it is. “I thought Houses were beautiful.”
“Too bad we have to close, this has been a great time”
It is also a crazy period for Jeroen, who has worked on the hotel boat from the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) for the past three months. “It’s a shame we have to close, this has been a great time. I would have liked to continue working here.”
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The COA is struggling with permanent residences for asylum seekers in the Netherlands. According to Jeroen, the emergency shelter in Huizen has been an excellent temporary solution, but he hopes that municipalities such as Huizen will dare to commit to permanent locations. “Long-term care is simply better, then you can really build something up.”
Satisfying
This summer, the port in Huizen will be filled with pleasure craft again, making the place unsuitable for long-term shelter. However, the refugees NH Nieuws speaks to will miss the boat. “We were really treated here as human beings, not as asylum seekers. Sometimes we felt like a guest on this boat,” Hakim says.
“How can we, together with our children, give something back to this country.” Gratitude is not only great with him. “Houses, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart,” says Muhammed. †