‘I arrived in The Netherlands ten years ago by boat. I came here for protection. An organization in Sierra Leone helped me to get on a cargo boat. I had no idea where I was going. Everyone was shipped off to other countries, I ended up in Rotterdam. The police took me to the station and gave me bread with cheese and coffee. After that I was transported to an asylum seekers centre where I started the asylum procedure.’
10 years later
‘Now it’s 10 years later and I’m in jail. It is the second time I’ve been put in a detention centre and it’s very hard. I can’t work, I can’t go to school, I can’t do anything. All day long I’m waiting and waiting. I have to listen to the people here and can’t decide anything for myself. And for what? I’m not a criminal.’
Not allowed to stay
‘I wasn’t granted asylum. I don’t really know why. They just decided and told me. They asked me all these questions like “Where are you from?”, “Who are you?” and “What’s your age?” I told them I was fifteen, but they didn’t believe me. So they did all sorts of tests and concluded that I was twenty. They also asked me what I did back home and if I had any family. I have no clue where my family is. The red cross took my DNA to find my family but so far they haven’t found them.’
‘Now I’ve been in the Netherlands for ten years and I’m not allowed to stay. They tell me that it’s also possible that I’m from another country, like Guinea. They don’t really believe my story and just decided I can’t stay. They want to send me back but that’s really hard. The embassy from Sierra Leone can’t help me because I have no ID. And nobody knows what will happen to me when I go back.’
Detention centre
The first time I was put in a detention centre I had to stay for nine months. After that they released me and put me out on the street. With nothing. I had to sleep on the streets. There was an organization that helped me. They gave me some money to buy food and drinks. I could also live there. Then, I was caught again and put in a detention centre for the second time. I don’t know what’s going on now. Al I can do is wait.’
‘They treat us like criminals. But all we did was seek asylum. We don’t belong here, real criminals are treated better. They know what’s going to happen to them and how long they have to stay in jail. We don’t know anything. It’s not normal how we are treated. We can’t do anything to change this situation. We don’t have any power, we can’t say anything. They decide everything.’
Africa is better
'I wasn’t treated like this in my own country. Every day, our cells open at 8 o’clock in the morning and close at noon. They open again at 1 o’clock but close at 5 o’clock in the afternoon and after that they stay closed until the next morning. If you don’t cooperate they can put you in the isolation cell. That has happened to me twice. We are treated like animals. My life has no future here.’
‘I think the Netherlands is the worst place to be in Europe as an immigrant. We watch tv and hear stories of other people and it’s just very hard here. Maybe the United Kingdom would be better. I think they have rights over there, human rights. I would never, never return to the Netherlands again. I would be dumb if I would. The way they treat me here is scandalous.’
For privacy reasons Samuel his name is ficticious
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