'Suitable job refugeestudent in danger'
The foundation for refugee-students UAF is not allowed to get involved in job-mediating for highly educated refugees. It fears that this will have adverse effects on the chance that a refugee with a degree will find a job at his or her own level.
The changes are caused by a large reorganisation of the Dutch social security system. Core of the new structure is the Executive Body Employee Security. This will be responsible for regulations like the WW (unemployment) and WAO (disability). But helping to find jobs for the unemployed who are difficult to place will be a task for commercial organisations.
The latter has consequences for the UAF. This foundation is mainly known for its support and financial help to refugee-students. However, through its department 'Job Support' it helped approximately one thousand graduates to find a suitable job in the past five years. They were subsidised by the Ministry of Social Affairs, but this can no longer be done under the new regime.
UAF-director Kees Bleichrodt is therefore worried about the support for refugee-students. 'In the new system so-called Centres for Work and Income (CWI) will have to help refugees with a degree get a job', he says. 'But there is no reason to assume that this will be any more succesful than the present Arbeidsvoorziening (employment service). We tell our students to stay as far away from that as possible, because employers think that only losers come from the Arbeidsvoorziening.'
According to the UAF special expertise is needed to get refugees with a degree a job, a job at their own level that is. Bleichrodt: 'There are still too many doctors carrying a broom in hospital corridors because they are called Ali.'
The ministry of social affairs acknowledges that there are groups that need special attention to get them suitable employment. They have therefore offered the UAF to place part of the work in a knowledge centre, subsidised by the ministry.
This knowledge centre can then advise local and regional CWIs. 'If the UAF still wants to work on job mediation, they can go private, like any other reintegration company.', according to a spokesperson.
Not everyone is convinced that this solution will get the right result. Members of Parliament Bussemaker and Noorman-Den Uyl therefore asked Secretary Vermeend of social affaires questions recently. They are worried about losing the special expertise of the UAF.
