Are you from Holland? Welcome!
If you're an OT from Holland and keen to see our profession respond to the occupational needs of refugees and asylum seekers - join our Sunday night Skype which is the last Sunday of the month, 10pm on Skype.
Next call: 2nd May 10pm on Skype - add OOFRAS as contact (was delayed one week for Easter holiday).
Introduce OOFRAS LINKS
Thank you to Ellen Fruijtier, Sophie von Bernus and Annemarie Bouwmeester for developing and maintaining this page!
Name: Sophie von Bernus, sophie.bernus@gmx.de
OT Role: I study occupational therapy at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands) in my 4th year. I am doing the last programme, the bachelor thesis. My experience throughout my studies has been with children, adolescents with psychosis, and with traumatized refugees.
How did you get involved? I got involved with refugees in my childhood joining projects then. I got to know of OOFRAS Inc via Ellen Fruijtier, a friend and fellow student. With refugees, I have searched together with them for meaningful activities and supported them in the first steps of starting activities. Furthermore, we provided creative activities to free the mind.
What inspires you as an OT? I get inspired by all the little stories of the powerful, caring people that find ways of coping with the difficult circumstances they live in. Besides that, I get inspired by occupational therapists that work on community-development matters.
Name: Ellen Fruijtier, ellenfruijtier@hotmail.com
How'd you learn about refugees? I have always been interested in the unique situation of asylum seekers. When I started to study law before, I realized there where lots of restrictions in policies that had impact on the living conditions of asylum seekers. Then, when I started studying occupational therapy in Amsterdam I became more able to relate the effect of circumstances created by law (among others) on peoples daily occupations. This lead to several projects with asylum seekers and undocumented migrants.
I have realized during my study, these where the projects that gave me a certain energy and motivated me the most as an OT. Also, I have found it inspiring to learn more about occupational justice, as it not only grounded that ‘feeling’ with theory, but it also provided instruments and strategies to give it some power and turn it into something productive. I also have loved to find out how shared interests can evolve into great friendships.
How'd you become an OOFRAS LINK? I came across OOOFRAS Inc site but was ‘reconnected’ much later after a friend, Abiola de Mojeed, reminded me and encouraged me to become actively involved. The wonderful people I have met and are meeting during projects constantly make me aware of how urgent it is for OTs to actively reach out for this group.
I have seen immense strength, persistence, and so much knowledge and talent. I feel the role of an OT is to be drawn to this: to seek it and use the power you have as a professional and your creative skills to empower those that so eagerly want to be empowered. And off course to then provide the base to be able to confidently step back, creating space for people to develop and to grow.
Refugees & Asylum Seekers in Holland
Refugees who are not affiliated with an organization can have their voice heard through VON which is an umbrella organization. VON is the national platform of all the refugee organizations whose mission is to defend the interests of refugees in the Netherlands.
Nidos is a nationally active organization that provides care to young people pursuant to the custody remedy and child protection measure. The care of Nidos focuses specifically on unaccompanied minor refugees and asylum seekers. And also young people staying in the Netherlands without a request for asylum who may realistically return to the country of origin.
The MIGHEALTHNET project aims to stimulate the exchange of knowledge on migrant and minority health through the development of interactive data bases in each of the participating countries. These 'wikis' will contain the following sorts of data:
-
Background information concerning migrant and minority populations
-
The state of health of migrants and minorities
-
The health care system and the entitlement of migrants and minorities to health care
-
Accessibility of health care
-
Quality of care: ‘good practices’ developed to improve the matching of service provisions to the needs of migrants and minorities
-
Achieving change: centres of expertise, general reports and policy documents, journals, training programmes, E-mail groups etc.
Figures published by the Dutch statistics office on Wednesday show that about 13,300 people applied for asylum in the Netherlands last year, about 11 percent less than the year before. Nearly half of the asylum seekers came from Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 23 February 2011
Hiding and Seeking; Health problems and problems in accessing health care of undocumented female immigrants in the Netherlands - see here for full thesis by Marianne Schoevers and her 2010 publication in the International Journal of Public Health.
The central organiation for accommodating asylum seekers has the most information on their Dutch site Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers but the English version of the site also outlines the key players, asylum process, and reception centres.
The Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek is the Central Office for Statistics where you can find info about the Dutch population, including how many people ask for asylum in the Netherlands.
Pharos is a Dutch health care knowledge centre for refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants and other migrants offering information, training and advice. The aim is to improve health or reduce health disadvantages and make the health care system more accessible. It is multidisciplinary in approach and also has an English sitemap.
At this site you can view regulations for medical care of asylum seekers, effective January 1st 2009.
Vluchtelingenwerk ('refugeework') is a organisation that defends the right for a fair asylum procedure from the moment that they ariven and if allowed to stay, they help them rebuild lives and integrate into Dutch society. There is a summary in English also.
The Foundation for Refugee Students UAF provides financial and mental support to refugees and asylum seekers who plan to study in the Netherlands. There is also an English version of the site. This support consists of:
-
Scholarships and contributions towards the costs of the preparation and of the studies.
-
Individual advice and guidance by student counselors.
-
Support to graduated UAF clients in finding a job.
-
Advice to governmental and educational institutions about suitable paths for higher educated refugees.
Dutch Study Iraqi Asylum Seekers "Impact of a long asylum procedure on health and health related dimensions among Iraqi asylum seekers in the Netherlands" An epidemiological study with contact details for more information here.
De Evenaar is a specialized centre for transcultural psychiatry (brochure here). This target group deals with psychiatric problems in combination with migration and trauma problems. It often concerns anxiety, depression and posttraumatic complaints. Usually there is a suspicion that there is a connection between those complaints and stressful events in the country of origin and/or in the Netherlands.
This is a news article about applications for asylum in Holland and other countries with a Western heritage. And view a map visualising where asylum seekers are coming from using 2010 data here.
Equator (a Dutch site) is a treatment approach promoting mental recovery and social inclusion for refugees exeriencing trauma. It is member of the " European Network of Rehabilitation Centres for Survivors of Torture" (an English site). Treatment approaches inclide: sociotherapy, occupational therapy, psychotherapy focused on trauma, social work/ assistance and social orientation, education about traumatic experiences, psychometric therapy, stabilization courses.
Steungroep voor Vrouwen zonder Verblijfsvergunning is a support group for women without a status. They want a stronger position for these women, by increasing their capability to support themselves and to participate in society. Every last Saturday of the month there is a ‘woman eating cafée’, for woman with and without documents. Here woman can meet, cook and eat together. By inviting guest speakers, issues in the lives of undocumented woman are being addressed.
Landelijk ongedocumenteerden steunpunt offers support to people and organsiations that are committed to people without documents and their situation. Follow ‘steunorganisaties’ for a complete list of support organisations for people without documents.
Dokters van de Wereld (Doctors of the World) is part of the Médecins du Monde network, an international aid organisation that provides medical care and gives a voice to vulnerable people all over the world. They are a volunteer organisation located in Amsterdam that mediates healthcare access for people without health insurance or documents.
ASKV ( Amsterdams Solidariteits Komitee Vluchtelingen) / Steunpunt Vluchtelingen supports rejected refugees that are unable to return to their home country. Their approach includes solidarity work, focusing on political changes and publicity. A select group can receive also mediation in lifesupport, housing, medical care, legal advice, Dutch language lessons and support for mental health. They have also started MOO (medisch opvangproject ongedocumenteerden), a medical shelter project for undocumented people.
Lampion is a national organization and information point about healthcare access for undocumented people. It is a broad network, that works together with national organizations to bundle information about healthcare access for undocumented displaced people. This way they try to inform healthcare institutions, healthcare workers and others that are in need of information, about systems of law and jurisdiction, developments and difficulties in healthcare access for undocumented people.
All included is a initiative that fights for freedom of mobility and the right of residence for migrants. They want equal rights for everybody, in a time of globalization where national boundaries are fading and everybody becomes a ‘world citizen’, where migration is a ‘part of the package’. They fight for a open society by raising awareness of the cases of people without documents in the political field.
|
