Hi, I'm Ilham and I'm from Turkey. I am Uyghur and my parents used to flee from China to Turkey, where I was born. I would like to share my story because I think it is important to help other people.

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

In 2019 I fled to the Netherlands with my wife. It was a very difficult time; we lost all our savings and actually had nothing left when we arrived in the Netherlands. Fortunately, we are doing well now. After 14 months in various AZCs, we received a residence permit. We have now found a nice apartment and both have a job. We feel very grateful.

What to do?

 What I found difficult was the varying advice: one said “learn the Dutch language first”, while the other said “find a job first”. In any case, I felt a lot of pressure to do the right thing. Make the right decisions, for our new life here, and regain our independence as quickly as possible. Ultimately, we decided to look for work first. We both speak good English and there are many international companies in the Netherlands. We put a lot of effort into finding a job. It was mainly a lot of networking!

 With every month that I didn't work, I became more restless. I felt the pressure of the growing gap on my resume. And that also made me lose self-confidence: am I still as smart as I was? What I wanted to avoid was people thinking I was a profiteer: doing nothing and getting paid by the government. I ducked a bit from the people I had already met in the Netherlands, I was afraid that they would think that too...

I work therefore I am

 When you work, you feel alive. You are aware that you contribute something to society. It gives perspective; you build something. It is a psychological boost for every person with a refugee background to find a job (again). You feel that you are making progress again; you can look to the future again. It may seem obvious, but believe me: the statement “I work, therefore I am” is there for a reason!

 I think that the Dutch government should do more for refugees, with regard to work. It sometimes takes a long time before you get a status and during that time you are not actually allowed to do anything. And it is time-consuming for organizations to hire refugees. That's all such a shame! Many people would like to contribute to society and they want their self-esteem back after the difficult flight. They do not want to be 'refugees', but professionals. And as a society, doesn't that also benefit you?! There should be better mechanisms and processes that benefit everyone.

Sustainability as a focus

 Sustainability is my interest. And Triodos is the most sustainable bank in the Netherlands, so I really enjoy working here now! During my master's degree in Global Business & Sustainability, I had already completed an internship at De Vegetarische Slager and later I did the Finance Academy via Refugee Talent Hub. While I was doing an internship at EY, this opportunity at Triodos came my way. It immediately felt good during my application: just a pleasant and honest conversation. I knew: this is the place for me!

Great responsibility

 I feel a lot of responsibility to work extra hard to show a) that being a refugee is something that happened to me but which says nothing about who I am, and b) that refugees have a lot of potential and can contribute a lot! And that organizations do not have to be afraid to take a risk by hiring a refugee, but rather see the added value of it.

My tips

•  Think about what you would like
•  Contact Refugee Talent Hub, NewBees, UAF, Delitelabs, etc. and explore your options
•  Dare to make drastic decisions
•  Also look at retraining/upskilling, don't get stuck in 'what you used to do'
•  Don't doubt yourself too much
•  Don't compare yourself to others, make your own plans
•  Invest in networking: you never know who knows who
•  Remind yourself: you made it all the way here, you can take on this challenge too!