Community networks

Two types of networks

Problems

Exploitation

Conclusion

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Two types of networks

A person’s first migration country in Europe is often where he or she has a type of ‘network’. This can either be a network of relatives, or a network of community members. According to a study carried out in France on approximately 200 foreigners who were regularized following the 1997 circulaire, more than 50% were sheltered by their relatives or friends at the time of the regularisation.[1] An undocumented migrant may stay with such relatives or community members during the immediate period after arrival or for longer if space permits. They may also be helped for finding work and accommodation through the family’s acquaintances or be put in touch with known NGOs that could help them.

In literature about the Belgium situation, it is mentioned that networks of family or friends who reside in Belgium are especially prevalent amongst undocumented migrants coming from countries from where guest workers were formerly recruited (Morocco, Turkey) and from former Belgian colonies (e.g. Congo).[2] The second type of network, made up of compatriots and/or people of the same cultural or religious background, exists in Belgium especially amongst sub-Saharan Africans. A large number of Africans seem to be able to count on the solidarity of their ethnic community when they don’t have a place to stay.[3]

Lies Deckers from Antwerp Minority Centre believes that an increasing number of people are relying on their community network for shelter in Belgium. The problem is however that due to the short asylum procedure, not everybody has the time to build out links with a network. But it is still often the only solution they have. Kitty Van Bussel from Vluchteling Als Naaste in The Netherlands has heard of especially Iraki, Africans, Eastern Europeans and Vietnamese making use of this network. In Italy it would seem, according to an investigation conducted by the FIO.PSD, that those who have the possibility to stay with co-nationals in Italy are mostly people from North and Sub-Tropical Africa, while for Eastern Europeans the situation is different because they generally don’t already have relatives in Italy who can house them. In Austria on the contrary, there are existing networks of Eastern European legal residents who will help undocumented co-nationals with regards to housing. Michael Bubik from Diakonie in Vienna explains that undocumented migrants sometimes come into contact with a network of people from their country thanks to one of the organization’s employees who is also from that country. However, migrants’ countries of origin have changed considerably in the last years and thus the employees’ communities aren’t always related to the recently arrived immigrants.

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Problems

It is important to note that the host persons or families are often faced with psychosocial and financial problems when providing shelter to undocumented relatives or friends, become more vulnerable as a consequence and don’t know where to direct themselves about their situation. The Netwerk Religieuzen voor Vluchtelingen in The Netherlands is concerned about this issue and tries to provide support and advice to these hosts.

Dutch students have finalised a research and a manual regarding the assistance undocumented migrants receive from their families and friends.[4] The research investigates both the problems that can rise for the migrant and for the family. The research is very timely, in the way that many organisations in Europe see indeed that most undocumented migrants get help from friends and family, but at the same time they see that for these families it is difficult. 

The students concluded that the hosting family is often facing a dilemma. 
Their cultural habits tell them to be hospitable, on the other hand they do not 
want to be a burden to Dutch society by living with too many people on one space 
for example. Thos who suffer most from the situation seem to be the children. 
They are limited in their privacy because often they have to share a room with the 
host, and apparently money that is normally spent on social activities with the 
children is now spent on the additional costs brought about by the presence of 
the host. 

What is striking is that almost none of the families interviewed by the students were asking assistance from a professional organisation. They try to solve all the problems internally. As a reason for this, the respondents said that they were afraid to be ‘caught’ hosting an undocumented migrant. All the interviewees were indeed convinced that it is punishable by law to host an undocumented migrant, which is not true in the Netherlands.  

Also for the guest him- or herself it is not easy to be hosted. People living with their family or friends often feel uncomfortable and conscious of being a burden. So they mostly try not to stay too long at one place, even if they are staying with family members.[5]

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Exploitation

It became clear in the above that hosting a friend or family-member is not necessarily unproblematic, but it should be noted that there is also evidence of straightforward exploitation by community members. A researcher who did research on undocumented workers in the United Kingdom reports how one of his interviewees told him that his landlady’s mother slept in the bathroom because she could not afford to pay the rent.[6]

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