How are children and young people who have fled Syria and live in Rotterdam doing? That is what sociologist Barbara van der Ent (Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences) investigated in her dissertation. She focused on the experiences of young people from Syria (aged 8-17) in the first years of living in Rotterdam with their families.
Children and young people who have fled from Syria and live in Rotterdam experience the first period as difficult because they have to get used to a lot. But after a few years, most have found their way and their lives pretty much back on track. "They have made new friends, enjoy going to school, speak Dutch and mostly feel at home in Rotterdam," concludes the PhD candidate. In her research, she looked at how these young Syrians rebuilt their young lives, and what role family, friends, school and Dutch society play in this.
Board game and photo assignments
Van der Ent wanted to find out more about the experiences of young people themselves. Therefore, the researcher developed a board game and she played it with the children (The Dutch NOS Jeugdjournaal made a news report about it in 2018). By rolling dice, the players came up with questions on different topics (such as friendships or the home situation). Most children really enjoyed playing the game and sharing their experiences. "It also helped that the game is very visual, especially for the children who don't speak the language very well yet. I also wanted them to share experiences with each other and for participating to just be fun too. The game helped with that too."
She also interviewed 19 young people using photo assignments. For instance, Van der Ent asked them to share five photos to get to know these young people better, or photos of places where they feel comfortable, or of things they see as typically Dutch. Because the children could choose the photos themselves, they also had control over the conversation. "Ethically I think this is important, especially for young people who have experienced something intense. At the same time, the photos provided a wonderful insight into their daily lives. For example, I got pictures of shopping malls and sports fields. It shows how life and all kinds of places in Rotterdam have become familiar to them."
Getting used to it at first
The fact that most Syrian children and young people are doing well does not mean that they do not experience difficulties. The first period after arrival often took a lot of getting used to. Remarkably, Van der Ent received many basic or practical things back. For instance, young people find the changeable weather in the Netherlands annoying, miss the Syrian food, or are surprised by all the rules here. "There was one young person who found it very strange that in the Netherlands only five people are really allowed in a five-seater car," says the researcher.
Young people feel welcome and accepted, but sometimes experience exclusion. These negative experiences are incidental rather than structural. But when they experience exclusion, it does evoke intense emotions. Some young people were also found to have frustrations about school. For example, the young people in the study would prefer to do havo or vwo, but follow education at a lower level. For example, because they have not yet mastered the Dutch language enough or because teachers rate their level lower. "Young people naturally want to pursue education at their level. And some dream of becoming architects or paediatric surgeons. That will be difficult and they really regret that."
Life becomes normal again
So, over time, most young people do well. They know how things work and dream about what they want to do in the future, observes the researcher. Van der Ent found the results surprising, as many previous studies paint a more negative picture. Importantly, according to the researcher, the children and young people have regained stability in life. They have residence permits, live with their families and go to school. "School brings structure to their lives and they can make friends that way. Life then becomes much more normal again. Time is also an important factor. The beginning is difficult, but after a while most find their way."
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PhD defence
Barbara van der Ent will defend her PhD dissertation on Thursday 9 March 2023, entitled: ’Rebuilding Young Lives. A study on the experiences of young, Syrian-born people with a refugee background during their first years in Rotterdam‘.
Read the article 'Syrische Razan en Rosh praten nu Rotterdams en zijn voor Feyenoord' in Dutch newspaper Trouw (10 March 2023) here.
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