Refugees from Turkey living on the asylum boats at the Conradkade in Haarlem are very concerned about their loved ones in the area affected by the earthquakes. They want to help, but have nowhere to go. “My family has nothing left, they only have the clothes they used to wear.”
NH News spoke to four refugees. Young Yunus, who is also staying on the boat, helps translate. They do not want to be recognized in the photo or mentioned by name and surname. Afraid to get themselves or family and friends in trouble in Turkey. The foursome have been staying on the reception ship in the Waarderpolder for some time and are still waiting for the outcome of their asylum procedure.
50-year-old Cemil fled Turkey because he had been sentenced to 50 months in prison and a second court case was pending against him. The Turkish authorities labeled Cemil a supporter of Fethulllah Gülen, the Turkish thinker and scholar who lives in exile in America. The three other refugees are also Gülen supporters, according to Turkey.
“They have to sleep in a tent, while it is freezing ten degrees”
All four come from the hard-hit region of Kahrmanmaras, near the epicenter of the strong earthquake last Monday. Fatma shows a video. The drone images show that the city in the south of Turkey is completely in ruins. There are hardly any buildings left standing. More than a million people live in the city of Kahramanmaras, almost all of them displaced.
Fatma explains with tears in her eyes that the situation in her town ‘Marash’ is miserable. “There are still so many people under the rubble. Fortunately, my loved ones survived the earthquake. But they have to sleep in a tent, while it is freezing ten degrees outside.”
‘Don’t eat and drink anymore’
She declines the offer for a cup of coffee or tea. Fatma explains to me that she hardly eats or drinks since the earthquake. “I would be so ashamed. We have it good here in Haarlem. My family and my friends in Turkey have nothing left.”
Fatma has two children who still live in Turkey. She says that she would like nothing more than to bring her children to the Netherlands, but that this is not possible at the moment.
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Ahmed and his wife join in as well. Ahmed says they are doing a bit better than last Monday, when news of the earthquake and aftershocks reached them. “We are in contact with our relatives and they were lucky enough to survive the earthquake.” Ahmed’s loved ones also have to make do in the freezing cold.
“The Netherlands is a good country, but it all takes so long”
They preferred to leave immediately for their homeland to help. Ahmed: “We want to, but we also know that we will be immediately arrested at the Turkish border and thrown into prison. We can’t even send money, because that can also endanger the recipients.”
Disappointed
The asylum procedures of the four refugees are progressing slowly. For example, after his first interview with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Cemil has been waiting for a second appointment for almost eleven months. He has good hopes of eventually getting a residence status.
“I am grateful to the Netherlands for taking me in. Otherwise I would be in a Turkish prison right now. But without a status I don’t get a social security number here and I’m not allowed to work. The Netherlands is a good country, but we are a bit disappointed that it is all taking so long.”
The cabinet wanted to delay family reunification for status holders by six months. But the Council of State determined on Wednesday that this family reunification measure is contrary to Dutch and European law. The government has therefore scrapped the waiting period of six months.
That decision seems to be good news for the refugees on the Haarlem reception ships, but it is not (yet). After all, they are still waiting for the outcome of their asylum procedure.
The four refugees from Turkey are not the only ones closely following the consequences of the devastating earthquakes. Many refugees from war-torn Syria are also staying on the asylum ships. Cemil: “Those people are even lonelier than we are. We don’t have much contact with them because we speak a different language. But there are many fellow sufferers on the boats with the same problems.”
Fear only increases
The mood on the reception ships is therefore depressed. Fatma: “Even before the earthquakes, I immediately looked at my phone every morning when I woke up. Afraid that there would be something wrong with the children in Turkey. After Monday, that fear has only become much greater.”
To conclude the conversation, Ahmed and Cemil make an appeal to the Dutch government. “Think about temporary family reunification. Germany does the same. You can now quickly arrange a visa for family members there. A decision about a possible residence permit will not be taken until later. This way we can bring our family to safety.”
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