Explaining Western norms and values to asylum seekers is a good idea, according to a poll of 320 refugee students.

‘Refugees come from countries that don’t always respect women’s rights or gay rights,’ according to Minister Bussemaker in a statement published yesterday in the Dutch daily newspaper Trouw. She wants asylum seekers to know that discrimination is not tolerated in the Netherlands.

Many refugee students share her sentiments. More than eighty percent believe that asylum seekers should indeed learn about freedom and social etiquette in their destination country, according to a poll carried out by the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF among 320 refugees studying in the Netherlands. Three of them wanted to explain their stories in more detail.

‘Many of these refugees know very little about democracy and freedom, rights and obligations. I believe it’s our job to teach them,’ says Johannes Jibraeel, a civil engineering student at HAN University of Applied Sciences.

Respect
Jibraeel fled Syria several years ago after renouncing his faith, which is an extremely dangerous thing to do in his home country. ‘I knew that my decision not to be a Muslim would be respected here, but when I arrived I was still a bit prejudiced against gay people and black people. A few years on, my attitude has changed. I now respect everyone. Even Muslims, who I used to hate. I realise now that I never really had a problem with Muslims, but with Islam itself,’ he says.

‘Some refugees aren’t really sure what freedom, openness and democracy really mean,’ says Serkon Heno, who worked as a lawyer in Syria and now studies Law at Radboud University Nijmegen. ‘Let’s assume this applies to about twenty percent of all refugees. That’s a pretty big group and the issue should therefore be addressed.’

According to Fumba Sawary, a Congolese student at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, we shouldn’t lump all refugees together. ‘Our image has completely changed over the past few months. A refugee is now considered either a criminal or an ISIS supporter.’

Sawary isn’t the only one who feels this way. Two-thirds of all refugee students suffer from the negative connotations associated with asylum seekers, according to the UAF poll. As for the New Year’s Eve assaults in Cologne, Sawary is quick to point out that not all of the perpetrators were refugees. ‘There were also lots of German-born people involved. I think it can happen anywhere.’

Freedom has its limits
According to Jibraeel, it can’t hurt to teach refugees a bit about Western culture. ‘Many of them come from a closed culture, which explains why they view other people so differently. They think that freedom means you can do what you want. But the limits of freedom are determined by those around us. For example, I’m never going to be able to seduce every woman I come across,’ he says with a laugh. ‘That’s just the way it is.’

But Heno, who agrees that we should educate refugees, believes there is another side to the coin: refugees are being used as political pawns, as scapegoats. ‘They take the blame for everything these days. Take healthcare premiums, for example. These existed before refugees started flooding into the country. Now that the premium has been raised, people are claiming it’s because refugees cost so much.’

No fortune seekers
All three men stress that they’re not fortune seekers. Sawary’s family was caught in the middle of a dangerous tribal war because his father was from another country and did not practice the same religion as his mother. Heno was forced to join the Syrian army, but refused to shoot his own people and decided to flee instead. As stated above, Jibraeel fled his homeland for religious reasons.

Has any of this political unrest trickled down into their academic world? ‘It doesn’t affect me personally,’ says Heno. ‘Students understand that not all refugees are the same. But if you see what people are saying in the media, posting on Facebook, or writing in the comments section of newspaper websites…’

The other two agree. Jibraeel is currently busy with an internship, which is going well. ‘I got to know everyone in the company a few months ago. There are no problems, we work together well.’ Sawary never raises the issue with teachers or students. ‘But other people start talking about refugees right away,’ he adds. Personally, he’d rather talk about something else. / HOP, Bas Belleman