They have often been in The Netherlands for more than 20 years, but are still illegal. Researchers at Erasmus University Rotterdam mapped this group of tens of thousands.
Led by professor of criminology Richard Staring at Erasmus University Rotterdam, scientists from several universities examined the lives of long-term undocumented elderly people in The Netherlands. The results of that study worried the researchers.
Yet their children have legal status
“There is a lack of much factual knowledge about the living conditions and needs of this group of elderly people,” Staring concludes. “One of the things that stands out is that they are often part of fragmented families, meaning that their children are indeed legally living in The Netherlands.”
According to the professor, this often creates practical problems. “The now adult children also don’t really know what to do with their illegal parents who are becoming increasingly needy.”
More and more care needed
The researchers speak of an impoverishment of the social network. The friends and family members which used to afford living space to these undocumented elderly people are fewer and fewer, making them more dependent on shelters. Social worker Niels Vlasman at the Regenboog Group in Amsterdam also sees this. “We worry about this group. They are slipping, physically and mentally, and it is often very complicated to get the right healthcare for these people.”
At the Rainbow Group shelter in Amsterdam, they try to help these people as best they can. “But the older they get, the more care they need,” Vlasman says. “Where should they go? A nursing home is not an option, but that would be best.”
Working black only
The number of undocumented people in The Netherlands is estimated to be between 25,000 and 58,000. They are often failed asylum seekers or people with expired residence permits. Most have lived in the Netherlands for more than 20 years.
One of them is George from Suriname. He is 68 and has lived in the Netherlands for more than 30 years. His children and grandchildren live here legally. Because of his illegal status, he is only allowed to do illegal work. Every now and then he works for a landscaping company or gets a few euros to set up terraces.
No BSN number
In the area of care, the lack of a residence permit causes great practical problems for George. “The Netherlands is my country. I no longer have anything in Suriname. Yet here I still always feel like the black sheep, because I need a social services number for everything. And I don’t have that.”
For example, he recently had surgery for cataracts, an acute medical procedure, but could not get the medications he needed afterward. “The pharmacy then asks for my social services number, or my insurance card. Then I have to say again that I don’t have that.”
Not just acute care
In The Netherlands, everyone, including people without a valid residence permit, is entitled to acute care. But according to GP Lou Bartels of Kruispost Foundation, it would be a lot easier to also provide long-term care to this group of people. Every day in his practice, he sees between 10 and 15 elderly undocumented people with typical old age problems. “Organizing care for this group is a challenge every time, also because it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to come to the practice,” he explains.
“This group is not going back to the country of origin. Most of them can’t even go back. They will stay here, so we better find a way to give them the care they need.”
Away from illegality
George worries about the future. “I don’t want to burden my children. They have their own lives and concerns. I do see them, and come to birthdays, but I can’t live there in the house. And legally I can’t go anywhere. I can’t get a contract to work, or to live anywhere.”
Ultimately, the situation for this group of people is untenable, stresses Professor Richard Staring. “We advocate offering this group a way out of illegality. We must remember that they have also filled a need. They cleaned our houses, tidied up our gardens. Now that they are too old to do this physically demanding work, the obvious thing to do is to be generous in giving them legal status.”
Author: Eveline Rethmeier
