ABN AMRO set up its Reboot programme to provide jobs to people with a refugee background. Saeed Rafay, who fled Pakistan three years ago, was one of these people.

After having followed the programme, he now works for the bank as a front-end developer. We spoke to him to mark World Refugee Day.

Saeed Rafay [29] fled Pakistan three years ago. He arrived in the Netherlands in March 2019 and went to live in an asylum seekers' centre in Deventer. 'I decided to sign up for the boot camp of the Hack Your Future non-profit organisation, which helps talented young refugees to find a job. For seven months, I followed training courses in web development from my room at the asylum seekers' centre.'

Equal opportunities on the job market

Saeed came across ABN AMRO and started following their Reboot programme. The bank not only offers people with a refugee background a job, but also a one-year coaching programme.

Actions such as this programme are the bank's bid for equal opportunities, because we think that everyone has the right to a good future, irrespective of their background. Not everyone is offered an opportunity like this, and some people need extra support. Unfortunately, an equal opportunity on the job market does not go without saying for people with a refugee background.

Jobs for eighty refugees with a residence permit

We want our organisation to reflect the diversity in society, so we have set ourselves a clear goal: by 2025, we want to have 20 people per year with a refugee background in proper jobs within our organisation. Saeed, who has been working as a front-end developer since June 2021, is one of them. 'I work with a team of web developers to ensure that our bank facilities are accessible to personal customers, and that the website and Mobile Banking app work as they should,' explains Saeed. He couldn't be more pleased with his job at the bank, and his colleagues are pleased with him too: he now has a permanent contract.

Saeed op kruk veraf

What does equal opportunities mean to you?

'To me, equality means that the whole of society can eat at the same table - figuratively speaking. I think that everyone should have the prospect of a job, whatever their background. And people who are highly qualified should be able to work at their own level.'

Why are equal opportunities important?

'Equality creates harmony in society. If you give refugees with a residence permit the opportunity to work, everyone will be contributing to society. A job helps you to integrate and gives you an identity. But Dutch companies also have a lot to gain by training talented refugees with a residence permit to fill their vacancies.'

Have you ever experienced inequality?

'I use my height as a metaphor for inequality. I came to the Netherlands, where everyone is tall. I'm small - and that's how you feel as a refugee. Smaller than the rest. I was particularly frustrated about not being able to work. That's only allowed if you have a residence permit. Earning my own money and being financially independent are very important to me. I spent two years depending on others. It was really tough, and I didn't feel equal.'

How do you deal with inequality?

'I tried to find a silver lining, a ray of light. When I was granted a residence permit, I had one goal: to find a job as soon as possible. To me, hard work was (and is still) my way out. This is how I approached boot camp, and it's how I am now at ABN AMRO. It's my way of finding a place in society.'

How can we achieve equal opportunities?

'Lend a helping hand to refugees who arrive here. Make sure that everyone who comes to the Netherlands has the chance to work. Programmes like Hack Your Future and ABN AMRO's Reboot programme are an enormous help in this respect. But it has to come from both sides: refugees with a residence permit must also knuckle down. You have to show what you're capable of, work hard, retrain and take courses wherever you can. Once you find a company that believes in you, you'll be on the way up. In my case, it was ABN AMRO that lent the helping hand I mentioned earlier.'

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Response from Avin Ali, engineer in the IT department: I can identify with Saeed's story. I fled Syria on my own, and wanted to find work in the Netherlands as soon as possible. I am so grateful to ABN AMRO for giving me this chance. The job helped me to integrate, stopped me from being dependent on others and made me learn Dutch.

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Response from Hadi Mansoraty, senior software developer: I think all refugees in the Netherlands would tell you the same story. When I arrived from Syria, I had to work twice as hard to prove myself. Unfortunately, the term 'refugee' still has negative connotations. That's why it's so great that ABN AMRO believes in us and has set up the Reboot programme. I hope that other companies will follow their example.

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This interview is part of a series of interviews about equal opportunities. We are talking to various colleagues about the obstacles that we still need to overcome, both as a bank and as a society.

(C) 2022 Electronic News Publishing, source ENP Newswire