Mazloom came to the Netherlands with her family 22 years ago. He received residency permission in 2007 and thanks to a general pardon, he and 27,000 others would then be eligible for a Dutch passport. He is still waiting.

Despite this general pardon, the rules were tightened in 2009, so that people of this group could only do so naturally by showing birth certificates or valid passports from their country of origin. A large part of this group is refugees, does not keep these documents and cannot obtain them.

Do not travel independently

Majloom is now 26 years old, he knows he can live in the Netherlands forever, but he still does not have a passport. He cannot find the correct documents. “I’m in a process with no way out. Hopeless, how does it feel,” he says.

“I’ve never met my grandfather and grandmother, because I can’t go there. I think it’s one of the best things to travel, because I want to explore the world. But it’s hard. Especially the European Union. Outside it brings a lot. Trouble. Because I have to apply for a visa. “

Certificate of good conduct required for travel

When he wanted to go to Thailand with a friend, he had to apply for a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) in addition to a visa. “I had to book hotel and airline tickets before I could apply for a visa. So I would have to lose money anyway, even though it was later discovered that I was not allowed to travel.”

Although he applied for a visa 4 months before the trip, he was told the day before his departure that he could travel to Thailand. “I waited anxiously until the last moment. I also came to know that it is annoying for my friends, they don’t know if the journey will continue.”

Inferior

“At the airport I am asked to stand in line with everyone without a passport. I catch fish, which makes me feel inferior. As a second-class citizen. I have the same rights as anyone else No, while I do that. Feel like a Dutchman. “, He says. “For example, I am not allowed to vote and if I want to get married it will also create problems.”

Majloom is currently studying communication. He has almost graduated and already notices that it will not be easy to find a job. “Many jobs as a civil servant, for example, are already dropped because they require a Dutch nationality. I also missed the opportunity to do an internship abroad. Because I had a lot of time to arrange I felt. I remember so many opportunities. “

‘Hope is running low’

“I’m trying to be very positive, but I’m starting to lose hope,” Majloom says. “I just hope that things will change for good and I can participate in society as a whole. I already feel like a Dutch person, which will not change the passport.”

“I speak Dutch better than my mother tongue,” he says. “No one will take me away, but I no longer want to be an obstacle in a country where I really feel at home.”